Burning Shadow
by Dragon Band-Aid
Summary: Just my spin on the female Shepard at age six and on with her adventures in Mass effect 1 and 2. Will continue this into third game when it comes out.
1. Ch 1 Knowing Me, Shepard

So I have been playing Mass effect 1 and 2 for the past few weeks and finally got an idea for a fanfic. First few chapters mearly about Shepard's befire joining Alliance and while trainning with the Alliance. This stuff is somewhat important. You ge to know a little about Shepards background better, this will shape her to what she will become. Yes this Shepards a she for now I'm leaving this as a love intrest with Garrus but that might change. I'll let you know. Review please.

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**Chapter 1  
Knowing Me, Shepard  
****Years 6-18 **

A six year old blond girl with sapphire eyes held two tiny hands out in front of her in a gesture of begging. This young girls dress was torn in many places with stains of various colors where about as well. A pleading look and a saddened sound in her voice she said two words.

"Spare change?" As long as Ekaterina could remember she had lived out in the street, they were her home and her prison. People walked by, either not caring or being the first to acknowledge the problems on their planet. Once in a while a person would put a quarter in her small stretched out hands. Her small filthy hands clutched the miniscule amount of change she was able to gather that day, one dollar and twenty-five cents. She knew she couldn't get much with this but in time she would be able to buy her self a meal. The light of the day on earth was fading away and so did the hopes of a small meal for Ekaterina.

"There you are." Looking up she found her two best friends, Mike and Ashlee. Mike was the boy of the group, didn't seem to mind it either. His black hair fell in front of his green eyes. He hadn't lost his baby fat yet, even at seven years old. Ashlee on the other hand was as skinny as Ekaterina. Anshlee looked just like Mike, in fact if you looked at them quickly you thought they were twins. Truth be told they weren't but at times they acted as such to get more money. "We got four dollars today. How bout you?" Both said in unison, still in their twin mode.

"Dollar twenty-five. That leaves us with five twenty-five in todays earnings. Plus the stash we got at base." Ekaterina thought about it for a few moments. "That leaves us with eleven dollars and seventy-seven scents." She nodded.

"I don't know how you do that. You never went to school and you still know how to count like that." Mike stated with a pout. "You keep telling me its not that hard, but your a lier-pants." He crossed his harms in front of his chest in annoyance. "One day its going to get you in trouble." Mike didn't know how right he was about that statement until a few years later.

- Nine Years Later-

Ekaterina now at age fifteen leaped across a roof top to land on to another one. Its not like she had the choice. A bunch of thugs where now chasing after he because she manage to get into a high security building and steel some rather important things. OK...those thugs wheren't really thugs, just the local police. The high security building...the bank. The rather important things...cash and a watch that she managed to grab. But that wasn't the point. The point was, local police or not there was no way in hell that Ekaterina was going to jump to the next building.

"You are so dead you little runt." Never mind. With another sigh and a burst of adrenalin Ekaterina flung herself off the roof top she was occupying now and grabbed onto a ledge with long powerful fingers. Her arm muscles spassed as she pulled her self up with shear force.

"Girl. You sure know how to make this fun." Mike said and he helped her up off the ledge and onto the slated roof. The police still on the other roof not daring to attempt what she just did in fear of falling twenty sever stories. Mike threw his middle finger up at the cops. "Take that you sons of a bitch's." The police just stood there shaking there heads and catching there breaths. Mumbles off 'its no use' and 'how the hell did she do that?' was heard before the police departed.

"You draw to much attention to yourself, Shepard." Mike's partner stated. Ashlee had died a few days early, gun shot to the head by the police for trying to steel food from a local vender. Ekaterina was alone on the streets and had to come up with plans for one now. Mike though took pity on her and helped out when his partner wasn't being an ass.

"I know Thorn. But that was sure as hell fun. You should try it." Thorn just gave her a glare. Thorn was a typical bad boy in a gang. Not caring for anyone but himself. Though he did help the local poor kids out once in a while he still kept his face in a scowl and his attitude as sweet as ass.

"I rather not, Shepard. But you really have to teach me how to do that." He gesture towards the ledge. Ekaterina was known as Spider on the streets. But most called her Shepard, her last name. Many of the people on the street didn't have last names, even if they didn't most of them didn't remember. Ekaterina was not that case.

"All right. Private lesson, it will cost you say... ten bucks." He sighed but nodded anyway. Thorn tended to have money when ever he needed it. "Cool. When do you want to start?"

"You guys can start now. Im head down to boss and telling him you got the dough. Have fun." Mike waved as he headed out. "Try not to get my partner killed." with that said he dissapeard down a hatch the led inside the tall building.

"Well. Lets get down to the other building so we can just jump into this one." Shepard stood and brushed off her ass from having to sit on the filthy roof. Her black jeans had hols here and there but they still were usable. Even the white tee she had on was in rather good condition considering that Shepard still lived on the street. Her shoes were a worn out pair of Puma's that some one was going to throw out. The lesson was quick but Thorn still couldn't grasp the concept of pulling one's body up by their fingers. "Lets head in side and you can practice all you want tomorrow." It had gotten dark and rather chilly but the gang was all in a happy mood do to Shepard's fun in the local bank.

Everyone was either drinking or snorting something to celebrate and many thanks where said as Shepard made her way though the crowed of rowdy people. Her long blond hair swayed in the opposite rhythm of her curved hips and she shot past Mark, the guy like to touch her in rather appropriate places.

"Shepard." Thorn called out from behind her. She nodded in acknowledgment that she heard him. "I owe you money come and collect it." Long slender legs stopped in the direction they where going and started to fallow a bulkier set to another part of the building.

Thorn held up a wad of money, then threw it Shepard, not really aiming but still know she would catch it. Unraveled a five and three singles came into view. Shepard laughed causing Thorn to look up from his bear that he was trying to open.

"You scrounging me Thorn?" Shepard held up the five and three singles while cocking her head to the side with a sarcastic smile on her face. "Eight bucks buddy. I said ten. You owe me two." Thorn just sat there, he seemed to be thinking. Probably where he put those last two dollars. Then he just shrugged.

"Don't have those two bucks."

"Well pull some out of your ass." Not really caring at the moment that Shepard was talking to one of the higher ups in the gang. "That's two hundred pennies or eight quarters or twenty dimes or forty nickels or just two bucks. Take your pick." Thorn rolled his head back and leaned back on the couch. His black hair departing from his face showing his rather unusual amber eyes.

"Alright Shepard, I said I owe you and I do. Give me till tomorrow and give you your two dollars." Now that wasn't right. Every time Shepard said that she had to own interest even the next day.

"Give me two dollars and fifty scent tomorrow and we'll call it even." Thorn have her a look. "What? It's a late charge of fifty scents per day."

"You like to make everything difficult don't you Shepard?"

"Its more fun that way." She winked at Thorn and started to head out of his room when she felt his hand around her upper arm stopping her from getting further. "What is it Thorn?" Turning towards him Shepard found an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'm...not going to be able to give you that money tomorrow." He sighed. "Look Shepard, the thing is. I'm joining the military tomorrow and so yeah." At first Shepard thought it was one of those lame excuesess that Mike gave to her when he didn't have what he owned the worry lines on his face and the fact he was searching hers for her reaction told her otherwise.

"Oh..OH! I didn't know. Well... good luck in there. I heard its not like it is out here. More strict you know. Got to fallow rules there too. That one will be hard for you, I just know it." Shepard wasn't really sure what to say to that so she just babbled on about anything to do with the military that she heard about or was able to witness when they trained to close to the gang. "I guess you could use what I showed you today. Though I don't know where. Oh. you'll Learn how to handle a real pistol. Not like the on-" Shepards ranting was cut off with Thorns lips one hers. The kiss he gave her wasn't rushed or rough, it was...Thorn like. It was hard for Shepard to actually formulate a word for it, in fact she tended to over think things. Like right now.

"I..." Thorn started to say. Shepard, unknown to Thorn knew that Thorn had this thing for her. But he being Eighteen and she just being fifteen was one of those things Thorn knew shouldn't happen.

"I know already. Your just not very good at picking people to tell your secrets to Thorn. Especially not Mike. You know how he gets when I rase my fist at him." Both Shepard and Thorn laughed together. Mike was such a baby when in came to fighting.

Thorns lips once again descended on Shepards, his hands moved from her arm to her long blond hair. The kiss was slow and sensual, both parties dragging it out as long as they could hold their breaths. It was so wrong and so right in many levels. Departing from Shepard's lips Thorn kissed the side of her lips then made his way down the jaw to the neck. Shepard tilted her head back giving a slight moan as Thorn sucked on her pulse leaving a rather noticeable red welt. Thorns hands skimmed down the back of her neck past Shepards shoulders and arms to rest on her hips.

"Shepard...we shouldn't." Thorn stated against her neck.

"Since when has the law effect us?" Shepard was enjoying the attention she was receiving on her neck, to really care about some shit ass law. Not that she herself had followed any laws since she joined the gang at ten. Thorn hummed in agreement against Shepards pulse sending a shock wave of pleasure down her spine.

"If you two are doing what I think your doing...you might want to close the door." Mike said as he walked in chuckling on how fast his partner in crime and his bestfriend could separate. "I'll be out of your way in a sec, just want to get my pistol. Hate walking around without it." Mike departed giving Thorn and Shepard a wink.

"I could kill him." Was all Shepard could say before Thorn had his lips on hers again. Moving back words while kissing a really hot guy was rather hard for Shepard, but Thorn managed to lead her next to the door to close and lock it. Shepard's hands slid up the inside of Thorns tight black t-shirt feeling all the muscles tighten as she ran her fingers over them. Thorn lifted Shepard by her hips causing her to cross her ankles at his hips. A throaty moan came from both parties as both there sexes rubbed against one another. Shepard couldn't help but think just how hard Thorn had gotten just from a make out session. Suddenly the was banging on the door.

"Thorn I know your in there. Boss called a meeting, so get out dick out of who ever your fucking and get out here." It was Mark. He was the bosses right hand man, Thorn was sadly under him in statues but he sure could beet Mark up any day.

"Alright." Thorn answered a little out of breath. He then turned to Shepard and put his forehead on hers. "We'll continue this later... if we're lucky." He gave Shepard a chased kiss before opening his door and leaving. Thorn never came back. In fact he just disappear all together that night.

-Two Months Later-

A sixteen year old, hard eyed Shepard stood next to the boss of the Cross Fist Gang. She looked about as the lower members of the gang milled about. Mark, who happened to get the position of head after the former boss died in a gun out on the conner street, sighed and leaned towards her putting his hand Shepard's right ass cheek. Shepard being used to it by now sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Continue to do that and you'll have no balls." Mark chuckled, squeezed a little then let go.

"I'm only playing." He returned his hands back on to his lap. "Whats the current status of our little safe?"

"1.3 million dollars. Might I add that we do need to bail Mike and Spiky out today." Mark just nodded and waved over somebody.

"Nick. Be so kind and escort our money keeper to the jail house so we can bail our two boys out." Nick nodded and started to walk off to get his guns. "And Nick." Nick turned and looked up to Mark. "Don't screw up this time. Last chance." Mark made a gun with his hand and fake shot Nick in the head. Nick nodded while looking a bit paler. "Go one sweet heart. Have your fun." With that Shepard followed Nick off the platform and headed out.

"How do you do it?" Nick asked. "How do you stand that ass of a guy?"

"Who said I did. I'm just waiting till he croaks to take over."

"Better you than him. Everyone's saying that you know. I mean yeah he got us this powerful, but you have better ideas. It may take a while but it sure as hell would make life better for the gang."

"What you suggesting Nick. You never say anything unless you have a plan." Everyone knew how much Nick hated Mark. It was no big secret, heck even Mark knew Nick hated him. Nick had tried many times to over throw Mark, but many where to afraid to ever help. It was strange, no one was afraid of Mark really, it was Shepard that everyone was weary of. She had a quick mind. Could calculate faster than a calculator, which gave her advantage of finding the best way to kill someone with her pistol on and off the streets. She was a tough sixteen year old, seeing and causing enough deaths in the neighborhood would change anyone.

"Just kill him already. Everyone knows you can." Nick threw his hands up in exasperation. Shepard just shook her head.

"Do you realize that if I do that there is a chance of division in the gang. One for old ways and one for new leader. Look at the down side, no one's going to take a female leader seriously, even the other gangs would laugh." Nick sighed.

The jail house was a place any ganger on the street knew well, inside and out. Shepard never really being caught by the authorities never knew the inside except when she went to bail out her jailed buddies. She new the bail's bond person, Maria, very well she saw her about six or seven times a month.

"Afternoon Maria." Shepard raised her hand in greating.

"Ekaterina, how have you been? Hows the gang." Maria had no problems with the gangs, she was just there to collect money and could care less whether the gang was a blood thirsty or the just liked to pick flowers.

"I'm good, Mark made another attempt at me today. Gangs fine, just missing a few of our people."

"Mike's been good. Spiky is a timid one. New one?" Shepard nodded. Spiky joined about two weeks ago. His hair being all spiky got him the nickname, Shepard wasn't even sure what his real name was. "Oh! Thorns here too." Shepard looked up sharply.

"Thorn...as in the Thorn?" Maria nodded quite not sure how to handle Shepard's sudden anger.

"Taking him out too?"

"If I could talk to him before hand, maybe." Maria nodded and called over an officer to escort Shepard to a private room where she could talk to Torn. Passing through several metal detectors and a quick body frisk. Shepard was placed in room six. Class walls surrounded her, it was just so the police could see what was happening in side. A police officer stood at the opposite door to where Shepard was escorted through. His hands cross at his back, staring at Shepard with unease. Many of the police in the county jail knew exactly who she was and what gang she worked for. Not enough evidence was ever around to have her arrested for any crime that she could have committed out on the streets. Thorn suddenly was at the opposite door being let in, in an orange suite and his movements restrained by the ankle cuffs. He looked ragged, but ready to kill the officer man handling him. Thorn was placed in the chair and was cuffed to the table he sat at.

"Shepard...its been a while."

"Its been a year you ass." Thorn looked at the table in dismay. "What happened to the military?"

"You remeber when boss called a meeting that day. Well...I got chosen to do this high risks infiltration...as you can tell it didn't work out to well in my favor...got caught. Now that I think about it, I think it was a trap...or boss didn't want me to leave the gang for the military."

"Former boss is dead. Marks in charge and I'm his second in command. How big's your bail? If I can even get out that is." Thorn shook his head at the news of Mark being in charge.

"His bail is set at 15000 credits." The police officer by the door said.

"Credits... thats...alien money...what the hell man! He got dough but not that kind... what did you do?"

"I did nothing, as soon as I was inside the building I was arrested. They so knew I was coming!" Thorn stood up in his rage making the chair fall on its side behind him as he slammed his only avaliable fist on the metal table. The officer in the room drew his weapon, sure it was just a stun gun, but Thorn was attached to a metal table that Shepard was currently leaning on. "Sorry." He stated to the officer and picked up his chair and sat back down. "Surely you could work something out with Maria... Credits can be exchanged for US currency." Shepard sighed and leaned back in her chair. She ran her hands over her braided pony-tailed hair as she thought about what to do.

"Look, 15000 Credits is about... 750000 in dollars. The gangs only got 1.3 mill at the moment. I am bailling out Mike and Spiky which would leave the gang with 1.1 mill. Dumb shits got into a lot of trouble. I guess I could bail you out...but you'll own the gang 750 thousand. Are you even aware what Mark will make you do just to pay back?"

"I'm willing. I want to get out of this hell hole. The guys are no fun." He pointed to the cop who tensed slightly.

"Well officer, have him ready for bail out." With that Shepard left the room with one last look at Thorn. Maria was waiting patiently for Shepard to return. She had all three papers ready to be singed and a small box ready for the money to be deposited. "Sign the usual place?" Maria laughed at the comment. Shepard was used to doing this now, she and Maria joked about her constant visits and bail.

Shepard waited out side with Nick, who seemed ever more happier to have his friends back...well maybe because he was finally going to meet the infamous Thorn. Shepard sighed at his girl like giddiness but let him have his moment of happiness as awkward as it was for her to see one of her own operatives acting like that. As soon as Mike made it through the door he picked up Shepard and spun her around all the time yelling if free. Shepard not liking the idea started hitting Mike on the shoulders and demanding that he put his superior down. Spiky just thanked her with a small salute and Thorn just stared at her till she raised at eyebrow at him.

"Common guys, I want my bed. I am quite sick of having to share with some thugs who think there all that but aren't." Mike laughed at his own joke and stalked towards the base. The group made their way though street slowly, not really rushing to get back to daily life in a gang, they just wanted to enjoy each others company.

"You should have seen her Thorn! Shepard just ducked right behind a crate to take cover and when the firing from the other gang slowed she wiped out her gun on top of that fucking crate and pow, pow, pow." Nick made his hands into a fake gun and pretended to be Shepard firing down another gang. "It took all but two minutes for her to take down the dam gang! All she got was a pat on the back from Mark and a "Good Job." What an ass whole. She just took down our oldest rivals and gained about 20% more ground for the gang and all she god was a 'good job." Nick shook his head.

"It was 37.7% more ground Nick. Though my other reward was not as pleasant as the pat on the back and a "good job Shepard, thats why I love having you beside me." From Mark."

"Say what!" Nick said. "What other reward... I didn't hear anything about that!."

"Thats because the boss man's to embarrassed to tell others." Mike stated. That earned a 'please tell me' from Nick and a 'do elaborate' from Thorn and a shake of the head from spiky. "Not my place." He pointed to Shepard. All eyes on her know Shepard knew these idiots would find out soon, mights as well tell them strait from the source.

"You know how Mark had..has what ever...thing for me...well my 'reward' was more like him jumping on me. Really...of ass things he could do is think I would just lay there and let him have his way with me. Dam ass thought he was so tough too...Not so tough now with his left nut missing." Ok...that was just a quick rundown of it and not the full story but hay...it was hers to tell which ever way she wanted. Nick shook his head and you can just hear him say 'Thats why another reason just to have him dead.' Thorn on the other hand looked rather mad but laughed at the last part.

"Dam Shepard...wild as I remember you." Shepard just shrugged.

"Hey! You can't just say that to the second in command." Mike punched his former partner in crim in the shoulder like he used to.

"Speaking of which... What do you guys think of getting Mark of that high horse of his?" Shepard sighed. Everyone else just nodded in agreement that it was about time. "Lets put Shepard in charge. It be cool... to have the toughest, roughest, meanest lady in the gang as the leader. God! We'll be so powerful not even the police would want to mess with us!" Nick waved his hands about in excitement.

"The police are already weary of her." Mike said as he bumped Nick on the head. "She'll just be harder to reach then, for them... but dam... that would be so cool."

"SHEPARD!" Shepard looked up quickly to find Sen running towards her. Sen was the guy who worked under her. He looked looked like he was in a bar fight, blood was dripping from various laceration and black and blue marks where placed here and there. "Marks been killed." Shepard just stared. What was she going to do? Give him medical aid. She was two blocks away from head quarters. "You in there Shepard?" Sen waved his hand in front of her face. With out thinking Shepard punched Sen in the gut. Mike laughed at his misfortune.

"Dude, thats what you get for doing that... never get to close to Shepard." Sen just hissed in slight pain as he stood up and brushed himself off. Giving Mike a glare he looked at Shepard again.

"What the hell do you want me to do about it? Call an ambulance?" Sen just shrugged.

"Well... if you want. I could...but that would bring the police into this and we don't need them to find the HQ. So...?"

"Why are you even asking her this?" Spiky asked.

"Spiky... Spiky...Spiky. When a boss dies the second in charge steps up, the thirds in charge now becomes the second. Shepard's boss." Boss just echoed in Shepard's head. Shepard grinned, a grin of triumph and cunning vengeance.

-Year Later-

Shepard was enjoying the shut eye she was getting right now. It was quite...well all hospitals where quite, but it smelled way to clean for her licking. It had all gone to hell. The police found HQ for the Cross Fist Gang. The blew open the door and started firing. No taking prisoner...it was just shoot and aim to kill. Shepard was one of the lucky ones...well she being the boss, she had instant covering form everyone. It was gang rule, protect to boss at all cost. Boss gets out, gang can be rebuilt. Oh, she did make it out alright and then got shot in the head by a sniper. Medics showed up on the scene just as soon as she got sniped, they put a stop to the police brutality and shipped out any injured gang member. They did find her a block or two up the street when the sniper said he got someone. They were surprised to find her alive. Shepard had even managed to curse the sniper and police out before passing out.

"Good to see you awake. I'm surprised you servived that." The nurse was to happy for her taste.

"God dam it woman. Cut the cutesy act and shut up. I have a fucking headache and your not making easer on me to sleep." Shepard rested her head again on the pillow. She had lifted it yell at the nurses stupidity.

"As you can see sir, she's wide awake and ready to make nice." A police officer said by the door. Turning her head she found a man in a navy blue military uniform walking towards her. His funny military cap was off and tucked under his left arm pit. He stopped at the side of her bed. He seemed aware that she was a rather dangerous woman. "Don't get to close sir. She can cut you down or spew numbers at you so fast it would make your head spin." Oh so the officer was playing funny man.

"Shut up dick stick. No one cares." Shepard turned towards the military dude. "What you looking at old timer? Never seen a person survive a sniper shot the head?" The military man looked at the officer and then back at Shepard.

"You certainly are his child. Got her looks and his fowl mouth."

"I got no parents ass whole. Gangs my family so fuck off."

"Well yes, I know about the gang Miss. Shepard. You obviously don't know about your actual family." He paused waiting for more insults to come spiting out of Shepard but received none. "You mother was a captain in the Alliance Military. Captain Flowne, your mother had recently died while on service. I have the unfortunate opportunity to tell you that and the fact you father has died in a raid by a pirate ship."

"I could care less what happened to them...they weren't here so they can kiss my white gangster ass." Shepard never really talked like this, but the pain drugs they gave her made her tongue loose and her words vulgar. A sigh came from the officer, but he lifted his hand and put a piece of paper down on Shepard's lap.

"Your mother wanted us to give this letter to you if she had passed on. What you do with it is your business. Its the only copy we have so try not ruin it." With that he placed a metal on Shepard's knees, saluted and the left. Shepard looked at the note and the medal. The medal was defiantly a captains medal. It had that blue pinstripe triangle with the star, eight pointed, gold and silver and red coloring attached to the bottom. Shepard fingered the note, she wasn't sure she should read it in the first place. This was the woman who gave birth to her and all she left was her captain medal and some folded note.

Shepard took the note and flipped it open. She wanted to know what the woman had to say for herself for leaving her daughter on the streets while she zoomed across space for the Alliance Military.

_Dear Ekaterina,_

_I know your angry. You probably thinking who does this woman think she is sending me a letter after leaving me here back on earth. Understand that I couldn't take you one a military ship and look after you like I wanted. I had left you with your father... but he obviously didn't do a good job. I had heard from intel that you were on the streets at four. Dam that man, I knew I should have left you with my mother, but then you wouldn't have ever seen your father in the first place... Not that you remember him at all. Your father and I, we were just a one night stand, but I am glad to have birthed you into this world. I have a feeling you could should I say would make the galaxy a better place. I wish was there to see you grow up, to be a shoulder to cry on or even someone to talk to._

_Ekaterina know this, join the military. Do something other than the gang. Please. You can read my files then I guess. If you want to. Know this though. I love you very much and I had never wanted to leave you on earth. But I had to follow odders and couldn't bring you. One more thing... if you see your father give him a good smacking will you? He deserves it. _

_With lots of love and hope for the future, your mom,_

_Captain Isabella Flowne_

_P.S. Your friend from the gang, Thorn I believe is his name, he's undercover in your gang. Hope you don't get hurt and please forgive him. He's only doing what he things is right._

Shepard Shut the note angrily. Thorn, a traitor to her and their home. If thats what it meant to be in the military then she didn't want anything to do with it. But then again...it would be easer to find Thorn and beat him to an inch of his life for it. No, right now she was to angry to think strait. Shutting her eyes once more Shepard finally was able to sleep.

-Month Later-

Shepard stood online for a military sign up sheet. It was actually rather unnerving, out of the hundreds of people that showed up only ten of them were woman... including her. Mike, her best friend stood next to her. He had been gunned down, but only his right leg suffered any permanent damage. He limp a little but otherwise was fine. Sort of. Every time he would hear a gun shot he would look around, looking for cops and then something to defend himself with. He was a twitchy sort of fellow but what surprised Shepard was that he was able to use biotics. They had found out in the hospital after the raid, implanted him with an L3 right then and there. Though Mike was also here to sign up for the military he had to actually wait another line, line for biotic people. Though right now he was there in support of Shepard...kind of.

"I think you doing this for the wrong reason Kat. But hay its your life. Is thorn really that worth going after?" Had he really had to ask.

"Of corse. The time when I was leader, I realized how much our gang depeneded on one another. We were a family, strang one at that, but a family none the less. We took in the young ones, taught them how to fend for them selves out there. The older guys like us, we were the main power. Family's family Mike. You never turn your back on them... even when working for military. Thorn will pay."

"I still think your going at this the wrong way." There was silence between them again, for a short bit. "Is this about... you know?"

"About what?"

"Of you having...a relation ship with Thorn?" Shepard tensed at his statement. It was not easy for Shepard to speak about her relation with Thorn, how his touch would just want to make her jump him. But it was the hurt mostly. Of what he did that made Shepard close up when anyone mentioned him. "No, don't Shepard. Don't close up on me now." Mike recieved no answer from her. "Dam." Mike looked up to find the they were being called by one of the attendants at the desk. He slowly steered Shepard towards the window.

"Good afternoon sir, ma'am. Last then first name please." Mike knew the lady wouldn't get anything out of Shepard at the moment, especially when she was reliving moments in her life in the gang.

"Shepard, Ekaterina."

"Strange name for a man." the lady smilled at him.

"Not for me ma'am. I'm a biotic. I'm just here with her." Mike pointed towards Shepard. "Abit shy right now." The lady nodded.

"Age?"

"18."

"Any form of combat training prior to servace?"

"Gang?" Mike asked hesitantly, wasn't sure if that was even an aproprate answer."

"Ok then. Give me a second. Just going to look up any criminal record. Understand that your friend here can't make it into the military if she has a criminal recored more than five offences. that goes for you too."

"We're clean...well she is, I've go two on my rapsheet."

"That she is clean. Any family members in the military?" Shepard decided to snap out of her secluded daze and snwered the question.

"Isabella Flowne"

"Mother I presume?" She received a nod from Shepard. "Rank please, if any."

"Captain."

"I knew it." The lady seemed to do her own little version of a happy dance while sitting down. "You look just like her. I'm sorry for you loss. She was a great captain." Shepard just nodded. She really didn't know much about her mother, but she wasn't going to let this lady know that. "Welcome to the Alliance military. Oh! Before I forget. You do have two last names which would you rather have before the dash?"

"Flowne." The lady typed quickly and then nodded.

"All set. Again welcome to the Alliance Military. Your statues is soldier, though it does say you have a fast mind. Would you like to be trained in tech-equipment?" She received a shrug from both parties. "I'll put that down as an yes. You should just fly right through those classes. Oh. Since you are related to a captain would you like to also be taught in Captainship? Sorry, they make us ask all these yes or no questions before going on the finalization. We want to put you in the best group where your skills would be vastly used and improved." She received a yes from Mike to get Captain training, earning him a playful punch in the gut form Shepard. "Alright then. Few more questions and you'll be put into a ship for training elsewhere. OK next question. Oh... this one you have no choice but to take sorry. It's a discipline field drills. Gang background does that you know. Next. You are being asked if you would like to have the opportunity to train in the Advanced Soldier Training. AST as it's known program. Understand that if you say no, you will have no other chance to get into it unless you Drill Sargent or DS for short nominates you." A no one heard from Shepard.

"What! Come on. AST. It would be so cool." Mike had this dreamy look in his eye.

"You will be asked the same questions sir. You friend here does not wish to be put the the grueling AST program. People have known to snap in there and tend to kill them selves. I am supposed to worn you about that too." She received a firmer no from Shepard. "Alright then. I want to welcome you officially to the Alliance Military. This," The lady pulled out two uniforms. "This is your only pair of uniforms you'll receive though you training percoid with the Alliance. Any more uniforms would have to be bought with your own money. If you ever go up in rank you will receive a new uniform curtsy of the Alliance Military. Guns will be handed to you when you reach the training base you will be stationed. If you like, you can step to the door on your right and change into the uniform. Uniforms are to be worn all times unless instructed otherwise. But first, here is your ships dock number, it will leave in an four hours until then enjoy your free time. You are being trained off earth enjoy what ever moon or planet they put you on." Shepard took of the uniforms in the bag and went to change.

The uniform was not what Shepard was expecting. It defiantly was a space uniform, tight enough to show off her curves but loose enough to move around comfortably in combat. The sipper was located on the side of the uniform, long sleeves and pant legs would keep Shepard's small body warm. Mike cat called her as she came out. Making even more men look at her than necessary.

"Sign me up where ever she's going ma'am." Mike joked with the lady behind the counter. The lady giggled at the joke but otherwise made no comment.

"Your such a lech Mike. Remind me to get you laid before departing."

"Sadly he will have no time. Biotic training camp is leaving in ten minutes."

"I guess this is a good bye. Do mail me once in a while, if you have time... I know I will." Mike hugged her. "I'll tell you how the first day went with training and you do with me ok?" Shepard nodded. "No go off and have some fun before your ass kicking beings. And good luck with Thorn."

"You know Thorn as well? Shepard looked at the lady. The lady sighed dreamily. "I'll put that in your file as well. I'm sure your friend is going to want to see you sometime. Thorn I mean. Have a safe trip and thank you for joining the Alliance Military."

Shepard sighed and made her way to the docking bay her ship was supposed to be on. The ship was actually already there. The cargo hatch was open and she could see provisions being put in as well as several six wheeled cars. Having no clue as to why anyone would need a six wheeled car Shepard just shook her head. She held a duffle bag, military styled with the Alliance symbol, that had her former cloths, spare uniform, a military issued knife, mom's letter and her gold star in it.

"You there. Soldier!" Shepard looked up to find a man walking towards her. "You're supposed to be helping. The new recruits will be here in a few hours and your just standing there." The man was red in the face with anger and didn't seem to know that Shepard was just staring at him with even saluting him.

"Greg..." The red faced man, known as Greg, saluted to somebody on Shepard's right. "She's one of the new recruits." The man then looked at Shepard. "Quite sorry about him. Greg's just worried we wont have enough for you guys. I know the first few weeks you new guys will be eating like elephants. He gets over his head sometimes, but he means well. I'm the Captain Andrew, welcome aboard the Check. Don't ask, even I don't know why they named her that. You are?" Shepard was stunned to meet the captain of the ship she will be living on for a while.

"Ekaterina Flowne-Shepard, Sir." Shepard did her best at the salute towards the captain.

"Flowne... Captain Isabella Flowne's daughter right?" Shepard nodded. "Fine young captain. Shame she died. She talked a lot about you. She even showed me a picture of you when you were four. You've changed a lot. Sorry Isabella and I were good friends. Come find me when you want to talk Ekaterina." He nodded Shepard and then made his way up the ramp to the main part of the ship. "If you like, you can help. Just find Greg." Well it sure beet waiting for four hours might as well be useful. Greg wasn't to hard to find, all one had to do was follow the screaming and you found the red faced man again. Greg looked at her as she walked up to him.

"Sorry 'bout before. Get'n all stressed for noth'in." Shepard just shook her head.

"Its alright. Came to help actually."

"Good. Cause we could use a pair of younger hands. See those crates over there?" He pointed to the crates that said 'Glass, Handle with care, Do not Top off' in big red letters. "Those need to go to the labs up in third sector. I would have someone else do it but these older one's are more likely to role them into a wall. Had that happen once, lab got really upset. We had to wait a week after departure time to get new ones." With that he went to yelling about where everything went.

Shepard picked up on of the smaller crates. On the box it said 'Medical Equipment Keep Sterile.' Heading towards an elevator Shepard found the button labeled for each floor, no numbers were involved. Pressing the Medical Bay button the elevator closed its doors and headed up.

"If this is a medical emergency press medical bay button again." Shepard was surprised that the elevator was equipped with the 'this is a medical emergency, can this elevator move any faster?' option. The medical bay smelled just like the hospital, sterile. Everything was white as well, even the arm things that hung over the medical cots were white. Doctors were milling about putting equipment away in various draws that were actually labeled.

"Excuse me." Shepard said. Several doctors jumped and looked at her before going back to their tasks. "I have sterile equipment here, two more crates will be coming up as eventually." With that said she put the crate on the floor so it wouldn't contaminate the counter tops. Shepard made her way back down the elevator and gathered the last two boxes of medical supplies. As she walked up the ramp she felt one of those boxes start to shift to her left. "Shit." Came out of her mouth before the box started to topple over but was caught mid air by someone.

"You should know better than that Shepard." Right then and there stood Thorn, had it not been for the medical crate that Shepard was holding she would have punched him in the face. She stiffly made her way up the rest of the silver ramp before stepping into the elevator again. Thorn stood beside her, it was awkward. "Shepard...I... I'm sorry for what happened with the gang. Had I known that the police would react like that..." Shepard gave him a look. "Yes, I know you know. But thats not the point. Had I known what would happened I wouldn't have told the police but the military." By then the doors to the medical bay opened and boxes where deposited. Now in the elevator again Shepard made sure she got her point across.

"YOU." She screamed as the doors finally closed. "You sick son of a bitch. Do you have any idea on how you just betrade the gang, the FAMILY? Those police just didn't gun down us, the adults in the gang. They got all those little one's too. Is that what you call justice Thorn? Killing innocent children with no home or family? Was killing Spiky or Nick worth it? You know they bled to death, TO DEATH. Watching their comrades, family, die by bullets. They recovered 20 thousand bullets from HQ. Thats...about 40 bullets per person, per BODY Thorn. I was snipped down. Right through the head Thorn. In one side of the head out the other. Mike. Mike's so afraid of cops now that he can't walk down the same street as one. He can't stand the sound of guns you know. He still has nightmares. Ande me... I can't sleep. Haven't been able to. All I keep seeing is Rachel. You know that little girl that had taken a liking to you. Rachel, that one." Shepard saw Thorn nod. "I keep seeing her lifeless corps in my arms bullet holes and blood everywhere. I still can feel that dam sniper's bullet enter my head, can hear it rattling in me and then hearing it come out the other. I hope the justice was worth everything. You are now cast out of the Cross Fist Gang. You hear me cast out. You are an enemy and I will kill you for what you have done." Anger was truly in her voice but the last two marts were whispered.

"Shepard." Thorn began.

"That's Miss. Flowne-Shepard to you." She said as she walked out of the elevator to help with the rest of the boxes. Hour later Shepard found her self sitting on her bed in her bunger, which she shared with three other guys. By guys she really meant guys. You know the kind with the dicks. They guys left her alone. Either they didn't know how to handle her or they just didn't want to make the wrong impression on her. It was the first night she'll ever spend drifting in mid space on a Alliance Military training ship, one of many, she knew. They guys were settling for bed, when the last guy finally sat on his bed they began to talk.

"Ok guys. I figured we could get to know one another cause we'll be living together for a while so I thought it would be easer on us." There were no voiced complaints on that idea. "Ok. My names Ralph. My father serves the twenty-second fleet. My mothers a famous author. I had military training at military school. Your turn John." Ralph was definitely English. You can tell by the ascent and the fact he called the bathroom a water-closet about ten times in the last five minutes. He had sandy brown colored hair, green eyes and a pale complexation. He stood about six foot two.

"Ok, names John as you know. My fathers a police chief in the city we just left and my mothers in the force as well. Got training to be a cop, though I decided to go military." John was a typical American. Brown hair, brown eyes with a tanned features. John stood five nine."Mother's dead though do to a gang that the police force manage to bring down finally. Heard the Gang leaders alive still, slick son a bitch." Shepard couldn't wait to break the new to him.

"Names Nick. Uh...Don't really have parents in military, uncle served, live with him. My parents died on a crews ship a few years ago. Pirates." Nick was a bit jittery. He couldn't sit still for very long periods of time. He was Asain decent, but Shepard couldn't pinpoint where exactly. Nick was short, like most Asians, Five five. Shepard was surprised to be taller than a fellow soldier, but didn't comment on it to much, especially when your just two inches taller. The guys all looked at Shepard waiting for her introduction.

"Names Ekaterina, though I prefer being called Shepard. Its quicker, though a friend of mine calls me Kat. My mother's dead. Served the Alliance army as captain.' Nick interrupted and asked for the name. "Flowne. Anyway. Father got his ass kicked by some space pirates. Lived on the steets since I was four. Oh and John, I'm that sick son of a bitch your looking for." John's face grew white. He started stuttering something. "And before you go congratulating you parents justice dead. Your parents had opened fire on several young children that lived with the gang. We gave them homes you know, and protection form the streets. But your parents came in guns blazing killing everyone. We didn't even have time to protect our selves. I'm lucky to survive a snipers shot through my scull. So don't start talking about justice. Justice is shit and she could kiss my white gangster ass." With that said Shepard turned over and pretended to go to sleep, surprisingly Shepard managed to get some actual sleep until the nightmare come.

"Boss lady?" It was Rachel. She was standing there in her semi-white dress and staring up at Shepard. Shepard squatted so she can talk to Rachel eye to eye. "Thron's being a meany pants again."

"Is he now?" Shepard chuckled. "Do you want me to talk to him and scold him for being a meany pants?" Rachel nodded, her brown curly hair shaking with her head.

"Not right now though. Thorn said he had something to do out side and hell be back later." Shepard couldn't think of anything that Thorn would have to do out side the HQ. She guest Thorn just wanted some alone time. When everyone knew that he and Shepard were...in a relationship many people came to him asking Thorn to ask Shepard about getting things they wanted done, done. This left Thorn in the middle of almost everybody's life and he didn't like it one bit.

Suddenly the doors burst open. Dust filled the air as those double doors fell of their hinges and landed on several young kids. There was a shout of 'aim and fire' before a sloot of bullets where coming through those doors. Rachel sagged against Shepard's squatted lap and arms. Bullet hols every where while blood pored out from those very holes. Looking up Shepard found the police entering, firing at anything that moved, heck even the black cat that made it's home here was gunned down.

Shepard sat up quickly and put her hand on her fast beating heart. She took several calming deep breaths before she heard Johns breath.

"Nighmare?"

"Yeah, of when your parents decided it be cool to gun down a five year old." Shepard stood and walked into the bathroom. Shutting the door she realized just how small this was, espcialy for four people. As you walked in the sink was two fee from the door. The toilet itself was less that two inches away from the sink to the right and about a foot away from the toilet was a shower stall just big enough for Shepard to squeeze into.

Not caring for the size of the bathroom Shepard checked the time, it was four o'clock one our before she officially had to be up for break fast. Striping form her uniform Shepard turned on the water to the shower and waited for it to get semi-warm before steeping in. She washed her long blond hair. She needed to cut it shorter. In her years in the gang she never really bothered with cutting it. It reached just below her but right now. She hoped to cut it mid back or even shoulder length if she was daring. As Shepard washed her body she couldn't help but notest small scars that adorn her body, she had a feeling she was going to get more soon from training. Towel drying quickly and zipping up her uniform Shepard hoped to get her hair dry enough so it wouldn't be a bitch to get into a braided bun a little later. She found John and Nick talking when she finally made her way out of the bathroom. Nick jumped of his bunk and ran past her. Shepard raised an eyebrow at John. John just shrugged not sure what was up with Nick and his rush to the bathroom.

"Do you want help? With the hair I mean." What a strange request from a man. "I have six sisters, I kind of got used to doing hair for them. Sucks sometimes being the oldest." Shepard shrugged. If John wanted to help with her mass of hair he could be her guest. John popped down from his bunker. He was wearing nothing but blue boxer shorts, it wasn't really a problem for Shepard, she was used to seeing Thorn...She stopped her self. Shepard had promised herself that her only thoughts of Thorn would be of revenge and that she was going to get over him.

"I'm sorry about before. That incident happened rather recently and well you probably know, seeing Thorn, the guy who ratted us out. It opened wounds that hadn't really healed. I know it wasn't your fault, but when you are the leader in a gang. One doesn't worry about one's slef. The leader worries about the entire gang from the four year olds to the adults. We are one big family you know. Because we don't have our actual families we depend on one another for that support. We take traitors seriously, its like turning your back on the family. You never turn your back on the family." Shepard tried to explain her hostility towards the chiefs son." John just patted her shoulder.

"No harm no foul. I figured as much. And I'm sorry the police force reacted like that. They know better. I'm not justifying or saying what they did was right but they were rather fed up with you guys running around disturbing the peace in the city. Your hairs done." Shepard stole a glance in the mirror hanging on the bathroom door. The braided hair was put into a neat bun.

"Your on hair duty for the rest of time here John." John just laughed at the statement.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Aww, you two bonded." Ralph stated be fore he was knocked out of his bed Shepard pressing up on his mattress. Shepard's bunk was under Ralph's on the right side of the room while Nick slept under John on the left side of the room. Unknown to his roommates Ralph slept naked. So it was quite the shock when Ralph stood up not really caring for his nudeness or his fellow roommates either.

"God Ralph, not even I want to see that when I just wake up. Put some boxers on. Don't you have any decency in from of a lady?" Nick stated as he walked out of the bathroom towel drying his hair. He had the uniform partly on, the top half was bunched at his hips.

"Don't worry Nick its nothing I haven't seen before. Not impressed at all." Shepard laughed when Nick clicked his tongue in distaste at her statement. "Anyway. We have to get down to the mess hall if we want anything to eat at all. Especially if we have combat training afterword."

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Review Please.


	2. Ch 2 Helping Colonists

Sorry for not updating in a while so I wrote you a rather long chapter to keep you occupied. Under the tittle for each chapter I will write what the chapter is about. Enjoy. Review please. Write flames if you wish.

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**Chapter 2**

**Helping** Colonists  
Training, Akuze, Skyllian Blitz

Shepard sighed, but continued to do her crunches. At her feet sat John, well technically, John was putting wait on Shepard's feet with his knees. John was counting; well Shepard hoped he was because she lost count of how many crunches she had done several minutes ago. John's large hand engulfed Shepard's knee telling her that she had done the proper amount of crunches, so they could switch.

"You look out of it John." Shepard said as she squatted when john began his work out. Currently John and Shepard were the only people in the gym on the ship. They were sure more people were to come at some point in the day, if they got over the grueling workout they received yesterday from basic training.

"Just heard a rumor and I'm not sure how to go about asking without seeming like an ass." John was a rather sensible man, he didn't but into peoples' lives unless it involved him. And he understood that secrets where meant to be secrets weather he knew them or not.

"I'm guessing it's about me." John sighed and flopped down on the floor from his last crunch.

"They're saying… that you know Thorn…you know one of the commanders on this ship." It was about twelve weeks since the Check departed from Earth. She had found out that Torn was one of the commanders on the ship. Thorn was who he really was; he wasn't eighteen, like he said he was, he was Twenty-Seven. It had been a whole fiasco when Shepard found out, with Thorn standing there talking to all the soldiers about respect, pride and some other shit that Shepard was to angry to remember. Later that day she had punched a hole in one of the bedroom walls, they now had a talking hole with the crew next door. "They said you and him had relations." Another thing about John, he made things that sounded so terrible, sound so normal.

"We…did. But you didn't hear that, got it?" John just nodded and then continued to do crunches. "Back on earth, he was part of the same gang I was. The Cross Fist Gang, we are mostly known as Red's. He said he was eighteen…looks it even now. I didn't know he was in the military…no one in the gang did, well maybe one the bosses did, not that they would have told us. Fucking idiot I was." Shepard hung her head in shame. She should have known better, should have followed that stupid instinct with him. "I mean I even had that weird feeling in me telling me not to get close, that there was something rather off about him. Should have listened."

"It isn't your fault. You were young… I probably would have made the same mistake." There was an award pause. It had sounded really strange to Shepard. 'I probably would have made the same mistake.' Was it just her or did that have a missing part to it. Shepard just stared at John waiting for him to finish his sentence, it never happened. "You don't know do you… well I know a big secret of yours I'll let you in on mine, though Nick knows. I'm gay. Nick's too incase you find it weird that Nick knows." John blushed a little, but otherwise continued his crunches.

"Oh. Well ok. I have no problems with that. Several members in the gang were gay. So… you and Nick." Shepard chuckled a little when John's blush returned ten folds. "If you guys decide to do …it… tell me and Ralph first, so we could give you that space."

"Should I know when you and Thorn are a go for it to, so I can steer people away?" John was joking but he didn't know just how sensitive that topic was for Shepard, so he was rather shocked when Shepard spit in his face yelled 'fuck you' and stalked off.

- Two hours later-

Shepard stood in front of her Captain class defining terms as her commander threw them at her. She sighed, the man was relentless, but she understood that it was his job to drill this shit in her head.

"Mission." His gruff voice sounded.

"Mission: The task, together with the purpose, that clearly indicates the action to be taken and the reason therefore. In common usage, especially when applied to lower military units, a duty assigned to an individual or unit; a task. The dispatching of one or more aircraft to accomplish one particular task." Shepard thank the gods that she was able to even remember this stuff, but to also remember definitions used in the dictionary thing they received.

She knew the commander loved it when you used to books terms, instead using a synapses version. It gave her the edge to be on good terms with the commander, like when she was late he just let her in without any verbal abuse like others got.

"Mobility Echelon"

"Mobility echelon: A subordinate element of a unit that is scheduled for deployment separately from the parent unit."

"Here's a new one, if you studied. 463L System"

"463L system: Aircraft pallets, nets, tie down, and coupling devices, facilities, handling equipment, procedures, and other components designed to interface with military and civilian aircraft cargo restraint systems. Though designed for airlift, system components may have to move intermodally via surface to support geographic combatant commander objectives. I think Sir." Shepard wasn't sure of the last one. She just studied these two minutes ago before heading to class. She had left her book on her bed the night before, but Nick and John thought it was the perfect time to their thing. Not that Shepard minded but she didn't get to study.

"Correct. Sit. You all should form a study group. Shepard you should be teaching them. Either that or you should all just study harder. Now today's lesion. Military Rank." Several other recruits groaned.

"Modern military services recognize three broad categories of personnel. These are codified in the Geneva Conventions, which distinguish officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men..." Shepard sighed. This guy, as nice as he was, he could talk on and on about stuff that no one cared about. She totally preferred spurting dictionary definitions at the man than listen to him lecture about this crap. Shepard closed her eyes to dispel the heading coming on.

"Shepard, why don't you tell us about rank and unit size since you think taking a nap would be better." Shepard stood up slowly from her seat. And sighed.

"Yes sir. This system, starting from the bottom and working up, a Corporal leads a Fireteam consisting of three other individuals. A Sergeant leads a Squad consisting of three fireteams. As a result, a full squad numbers 13 individuals. Squads usually have numbered designations (e.g., 1st Squad)..." Shepard kept talking till the end of class, hoping to waist as much time as she could with extra details. Shepard thanked the gods again for her photographic memory and the fact she could remember any of the stuff she retained. Otherwise she would have been in deep shit.

"You know your stuff Shepard good. Now that our time has ended your are all dismissed." Everyone saluted and waited for the commander to walk out before glaring at Shepard.

"Don't look at me like that. It's the photographic memory. Now, I don't know about you but I don't think our drill sergeants would be please if we were late."

- DS-

"Don't role your eye on me boy." Mark, the guy next to Shepard hadn't even moved, let alone rolled his eyes at the Drill Sergeant. "Are you going to need to change your pants Private Mark?" The Drill Sergeant seemed to know everyone and everything about everyone. He was coming down the line and just yelling crap at people. Suddenly he was in Shepard's face, his face all read and sweaty from yelling at forty or so men already.

"Buttercup, don't scrunch your face like that, it makes you uglier that you already are." Was this guy serious? Shepard had killed people just whistling as they walked by her back on Earth. Buttercup…really? Shepard tried her best not to laugh at the nickname. Her lip apparently twitched. "You think I'm funny now buttercup? I bet you do, considering you are into older people." So he was going to go there ok…she could play the game too. Or not. Not caring about protocol Shepard jumped the Drill Sergeant and proceeded to beat the living tar out of him. Several soldiers close by watch, in horror some with laughter. In the end the Captain of the ship, Andrew was called down to defuse the situation. Pulling Shepard off the screaming Drill Sargent was no easy task, especially for the already trained solders. Shepard had actually managed to get several good blow's to a face, gut and even kicked a soldier in the nuts before finally giving up and let the soldiers drag her off the bloody Drill Sergeant.

"What in god names is going on?" Captain Andrew asked when the Drill Sergeant was assisted with standing and Shepard was restrained by a new group of rather heavy armed soldiers. "This is not a way _my_ ship operates. Take Dan the the medical wing. Escort Private Ekaterina to a holding cell until she comes down and we get a chance to speak. Dismissed." It was about a four minute walk to the holding cell. But it was agonizing. People where staring as Shepard was escorted, many got out of the way of the bulky dressed men that held Shepard's arms.

The cell wasn't all that bad. A three by six foot was all the space in the cell, but it did have this rather comfy bench that Shepard was deposited on by her armed escort and then the cell door was slammed shut. Shepard sighed, its not like she didn't like Drill Sergeant Dan, but he should't have said such things, then again he did scream like a little girl as she hit him rapidly.

"Is there a reason for the...outburst Shepard?" Captain Andrew stood in front of her holding cell. "I had know the rumors Shepard...Even if they are true you should not let it get to you. You are to remained focused. Like a trained soldier. Keep your head cool, emotions in check and remember your training." That last sentence Shepard knew rather well, it was a mantra that they kept repeating over and over to the soldiers in the first few hours on their lives on deck. "You can let her out. Shepard, your Drill Sergeant is fine, though his face is partially brocken, he is going to be very weary of you." With that he saluted, Shepard saluted right back and Captain Andrew left.

-Several hours later-

"Girl... you are one tuff chick. I can't hold it together when DS Dan walks by with his face all weird like that. And I can't get over the sound of his girly screaming..." Mike laughed out as he sat at dinner, shoveling mashed potato's into his face. John just shook his head and continued eating without commenting on my outburst.

"Private Ekaterina Flowne-Shepard." Shepard's name was announced over the noise of the mess hall. The not only grew silent but tense as Shepard stood up and saluted no one in particular, but Shepard new it was someone higher in rank on the Check. "Present yourselfr." That was Thorns voice. "Your being disciplined." Another bad thing about the Check, Thorn was the disciplinary Captain. Shepard sighed but moved out of her seat, she heard John whisper a good luck and don't hit this one.

Walking behind thorn was weird, last time she did that was...well when she was being led to his room to do naughty things between the sheets with him. But right now, she was in the mood to think of the wild and crazy sex that Shepard had before her joining Alliance. Shepard was getting ready for what ever punishment they saw fit.

"This is Dr. Shen's office. In you go." A syc... thats was a punishment? She had to talk...really. That was fine with her. Dr. Shen's office was a picture of perfection and Zen. There was no paper laying about a small water fall was flowing in one of the corners several comfy chairs were spread evenly about. Down side came along rather fast. DS Dan sat in one of those chairs... Thorn as well had sat down. Dr. Shen sat in the biggest chair shifting through several papers. His balled head was bend over towards her as he read something.

"Miss. Flowne-Shepard. Have a seat." The way Dr. Shen said it, didn't seem like he was asking. Shepard reclined in the farthest chair possible form the people in the room and closest to the door. "I see you have trust issues. For now I will let you sit there, but when we have more sessions, which I have a feeling I think we will, you will have to sit closer." Silence was his answer. Shepard wasn't going to agree or disagree with anything at the moment. "Miss. Flowne-Shepard. 18. Gang member of the Reds. Mother a former Captain in the Alliance Military. Father, killed by pirates. Your good with tech, class grade in 95 rang and up. Captain class, your top pupil, can retain and spew definitions like a computer. Your DS is here, so I can definately see how well this is going." DS Dan made a grunting sound.

"Captain Thorn is here because his name was raised in your outburst today. So now that I know who you are, lets get going. Miss...Shepard. You prefer to be called by your comrades. Mind if a call you that?" Shepard just glared at the pruned face Dr. "I'll take the silence as a yes. DS Dan was doing his duties on the ship before you had... 'jumped and started punching' him in the face. What had set you off?"

"Fuck you." Shepard responded. This was not his problem, he didn't need to know.

"I believe am the issue in all this Doc." Thorn said. "Shepard and I knew each other prior to her joining the Alliance. Rummer seem to be circulating most of it true will others are rather out there."

"I see. Dan. There was no need to anger the woman anymore that others had. Aparitly Miss. Shepard is rather violent when she is angry."

"Really?" Thorn stated sarcastically.

"So what. At least I'm not violent in bed when angry." Ok, low blow but hay. Lets all play dirty. It was quite after that. No one said anything for a minute.

"Typical Shepard, hit below the belt."

"Maybe you'll stop from fucking things afterword."

"Maybe you should get fixed.

"One to talk you hormone driven crazed twenty- seven year old man."

"I was on a mission!"

"Fuck you ass whole!"

"Your still as bitchy as ever."

"BITCHY!" Shepard screeched and lunged at Thorn. Thorn met her halfway, both falling on the floor with a hard thud as they wrestled. Hearing the noise, the two soldiers came rushing in only to stop dead in there tracks with shock.

Shepard had managed to get Thorn in a head lock with her thighs. To any passerby it looked like Thorn looked like a complete letch, with his head between Shepard's legs in a rather inappropriate place. His hands were around Shepard's waist and front, somehow Shepard had managed to lye one top of Thorn on her back to his front in all the awkwardness. The wrestling, one sided, continued for a minute or two before Shepard and Thorn were pulled apart by the two soldiers.

"I can see where the problem is. Dan you can leave and start healing up. As for the both of you, we will continue to _talk_. Now sit." The session did continue with more yelling from both parties but there was no fighting.

"You had a feeling?"

"Yeah. Like you were hiding something. You didn't seem to get close to anyone else."

"Well, you see how things ended up"

"I can't believe you. I haven't slept well in months. I hope you die one day by very people you abandoned." Shepard left it at that. She didn't say anything else for the remainder of the session. which lasted for another two minutes do to her part.

-About a Year later-

"Private Shepard, Your needed for a mission." Captain Andrew said after he saluted.

"Just me sir?" Andrew gave a short nod.

"The mission, basic scout land for survivors, but you've done those before. Another Ship needs you though, well to be honest the Captain, Morgan, asked for you by name for this mission. I think they're ready to promote you, this is a test I have a feeling." Captain Andrew sighed. "I would hate for you to be moved to another ship, but I don't have much say when it come from above."

"I'll miss this crew. Maybe I should work the Shepard Charm." Both Captain and private laughed. Shepard's violent ways were known as the 'Shepard Charm.' Of course it was only the crew of the Check had that running joke.

"Don't Shepard. Your an Alliance soldier, so you'll do as your told to."

"Yes, Mom. But with all seriousness sir. Basic mission like that... I can see me leading but where... or you don't know detail."

"Akuze."

"Missing colonists, I was afraid of that. Where's my new crew and Captain decked at?"

"Dock number 878. Be there ASAP. They whish to leave, surviving colonists wont wait forever."

"Yes Sir." Shepard saluted and made her way to the elevator. Stepping in Shepard found herself in the presents of two torian C-cect officers. Citadel Police, Always were Torins, recently though humans started to enroll into the C-cect. The change was gradual, but it was apparent that humans will eventually out number Torins in that field.

Shepard shifted a little, her space soot was not the awesome N7, that she wanted to really have, but the standard military one. Shepard wished she had taken that AST(advanced soldier training.) that way she could run around in N7 armor. Shepard had once been close to getting into the program, but that...beating of a DS didn't even let her explain her actions to the main personnel. The Commanders also wore N7 armer, only because they were required to go through the same training as the Advanced soldiers. Commanders were a AS but with the ability to lead.

'In other news, the human colony on Akuze had all mysteriously disappeared. Human Councile says they are checking it out. Alliance military is sending ships out to find cause of disappearance of colonists.'

"Humans." A torian officer grunted out. "Everything is a crisis to them."

"They are the ones who decided to be so far out in space. They don't live to long either. Got to give them credit for response time though." The other one responded to his fellow officers statement.

"Human." The officer poked Shepard in the shoulder with his gun. Shepard was tempted to draw her gun as well, but decided to do the fun thing instead. Turning around like she was in a marching line, clicked her boots together and saluted to the torian.

"Yes Sir." Both Torins just stood there not really sure how to respond to the humans greeting.

"Uh... Yeah. Never mind." Shepard saluted again and then turned around and grinned. That move always got Torins to forget what they were trying to say to her. It was also so fun to see them not sure what to so about that either. Didn't all Torins serve in the military? Shepard guessed there were differences in each military, but they couldn't all be that different.

"You must be Private Shepard." A solder came up to Shepard as she stepped of the quite elevator. Shepard wasn't sure but the elevators seemed rather slow, especially for this day in age. "I'm private Mark. I'll be showing you around the Cabella. Captain wanted to do it herself, but she got busy." Both soldiers saluted before heading off to the hatch.

'Disinfecting, Please stand by.'

"Captain wanted me inform you that you have been bumped up in statue here. You're Second- Commander. Commander Stone is in charge of the mission, you'll be working under him. I'm just an XO in case your wondering why I know all this. Captain once in a while leaves the ship, so she leaves me in charge. Commander Stone is always on shore for missions, so he can't be XO. Any way. This is the cockpit. Word of advise leave James alone. He hates it when people walk around this place or make too much noise." The Cabella was an actual war ship, smaller, sleeker and was packed with only soldiers. The Check was more of a military transport ship (that trained soldiers as well).

"This is your bunk for your time here." Shepard was used to bunking with people. There was at least five other people bunking in this room, Spepard was receiving a top bunk, do her being a Second-Commander, in trueth Shepard preferred being closer to the floor, but she wasn't going to say that now. She'll make a deal with the soldier below her. "I'll let you settle in. When you want to meet with Stone, you'll find him the debriefing room or his courters. Just ask around." The soldier saluted and left. Shepard sighed. What had she gotten herself into this time? she thought. She now had to get used to a new ship, crew and captain. The door to the bunk hissed open reveling several voices. They all were laughing at something someone had said, but that all stopped when the spotted Shepard standing there with her forehead resting on top of the mattress on the top bunk. There was a good two minutes of silence from both parties before Shepard inhaled loudly and stood strait once more.

"Who sleeps here?" Shepard pointed to the mattress below hers. A 'I do' was heard, not that Shepard was looking at them to really know who. "Where switching, you get top bunck I get low bunck." She wasn't sure if she could really command people on this ship, but Shepard made that command sound more like an open statement than anything else.

"Who are you?" Some one said. Shepard sighed once more and turned to her new bunckmates.

"Second-Commander Flowne-Shepard." Stupid titles, stupid long last name Shepard hissed in her head.

"We are so sorry Ma'am." Someone stuttered before all of them saluted. Shepard Saluted back but gave no indication that she really didn't care if they saluted or not. Shepard seen Captain Andrew do this all the time, it was actually fun to see people shift uncomfortably, not really sure if they had insulted their superior officer in anyway. Just like how these soldiers were doing.

"Have you guys seen Stone about? I need to speak to him."

"He's in courters Ma'am. Down stairs next to the engines. He likes it were its warm, so your more likely to sweat. He's going over maps I believe." It was a little more that what Shepard wanted to know about Commander Stone but she guessed it was do to living in close courters with everyone.

Her fellow soldier wasn't kidding about it being warmer down by the engines. The door to the Commanders room had that red dot on it, saying do not disturb. Shepard knocked on the door slowly, not really sure if she should really be in here in the first place. A baritone voice asked who it was, muffled by the door and the noise of the engines it sounded more like 'muff is wirr.'

"Commander Stone. Shepard here." The was a slight pause before the door hissed open. A blond hair, blue eyed man stood in front of Shepard. Shepard guessed he was at least five nine in hight.

"Flowne-Shepard. Pleasure. Come in...just looking over maps." Commander Stone stuttered his way though the sentence. Funny think about Stone, he was a cofident leader, would even give orders to the Captain if he needed to, but when he wasn't on the battle field... Put a lady in front of him, he couldn't even define the word mission.

For about an hour Stone stuttered about the mission and landscape on Akuze before he started pacing about as Shepard looked over the maps in detail. The hologram of the map would flicker every time Stone would pass a certain point of the floor, he seemed to be sweating bullets.

"Commander... I don't mean to be out of line... but are you ok?" Stone stopped his pacing and looked at Shepard before he coughed into his hand.

"I'm sorry, its just...I'm not good with this sort thing."

"Commanding?"

"Whah...no. Heaven no! I wouldn't be a commander if I was bad at that." The was a pause, Stone took a breath. "Don't take this in offense. Your a woman... women make me nervous is all."

'No really?' Shepard laughed in her head, but kept a strait face. "That's alright. It's better than being looked at as if I can't do anything right because I'm a woman. Its a change of pace. Also... this ridge right here..." Shepard pointed at the hologram map. "It seems out of place... to small of a mountain especially for Akuze."

"I saw that before... in fact thats about where we are going to be landing. We'll check that out first, just to be safe... but then we'll be heading over here...this is were the actual place where the colony was set up." It was about several hours later when the actual command to be ready to be deploid in an hour came. But with all the hassle and bustle on the ship Shepard could only make out parts of it before hearing her name.

"Second-Commander. Your locker is at the end by Stones. He also needs to speak with you." Shepard nodded her thanks before heading over. Shepard was surprised to find that the crew had actually been fixing the rover they were going to take...actually it was two rovers. They couldn't fit all fifty people onto one, so they opted for two. Sadly the second one was in need of repair, so the crew, mostly the mechanics and techs, were working hard for the last six hours to fix the thing. It had been battered from a previous deployment to the point that it wouldn't role anywhere. The crew had manage to get the steering and the moving forward part ready, it was in no firing order.

"Stone." Shepard stated as she opened her locker.

"Good. First could you get those snaps on the back... I have the old model of N7, so used to it I didn't want the new ones. Second. Change of plans where landing about four wheal turns from the colony... we'll be checking the land anomaly afterwards. Captain's orders." Shepard nodded, she knew by now that what Captain says, goes. Shepard pulled out the armor she would be wearing for this mission. Brand new N7 armor...state of the art N7 armor. The red and white stripes on her right shoulder was something new.

"Apparently Commanding officers get those two colors. The old version doesn't have that, but that wouldn't matter. I'll be sticking by your side so it wouldn't really matter about that. Its more for the solders really. They need to know where there commanders are at to get their orders or yelling." Stone laughed at his own joke, Shepard just smiled and shook her head.

Who ever said Akuze was a great place to colonies was so fucking lying. Shepard sighed, it had been a long day, between looking for survives and keeping the team together Shepard wasn't sure who to shoot first, her self or the actual team. It was strange, a whole colony had gone missing, were even? Shepard had no clue, there was no bodies, any buildings that were left over were intact. Its like the colony just dropped everything and disappeared. Right now the makos made there way slowly across the land the land anomaly that both Commanders saw on the map.

The radio of the mako Shepard was on bussed into action. 'Commander?' came through the static.

"Get that Shepard." Stone said not even looking up from his hologram map on his omni tool. Sighing Shepard leaned forward into the cockpit and picked the talking end of the radio.

'Second here.'

'Second... Our mako is slowing down...we think its broken again.' Came the voice on the other end.

"Stone."

"I heard. Take care of it." It wasn't really an order, but Shepard knew that Stone was too busy to do anything.

"Stop the Mako." Shepard ordered the pilot of her Mako. Shepard knew that once they stopped the Mako will.

'There a resion we stopping ma'am?' The radio asked.

'Get a team to look at the mako, I'll be there shortly." Shepard turned to Stone. "Need me, radio or give me a buzz on my omni tool.' Stone nodded but continued to press buttons on his arm.

The mako didn't look any worse than it was before but it did have the I'm about to die smell to it though. The dents from before where still there, but Shepard saw a few new scratches and dents on the sides.

"The landing might have loosened something ma'am. The tech is looking at it right now.' The tech was actually look at it, not into it really just walking around looking as if he was actually worried. Shepard banged on the hood of the six wheeled truck, getting the drivers attention to pop the hood.

"Hay bright eyes. Hoods the problem not the dents. Though you could tell the driver to be a little more carful." The tech looked embarissed for a moment but came running over.

"I'll look over it ma'am."

"I know what I'm doing. I'm a tech as well." There was silence after that as Shepard looked at each piece. "the hell is this?" Shepard asked as she pointed at some random hose that was linked to the battery and the cooling system.

"Don't know ma'am." The tech looked at it. "it's attached at both ends, is the other mako like that too?" Shepard shrugged and checked under hood of the other mako, there was no hose.

"Get that hose off the mako." The tech saluted and pulled out the tool box from the side of his mako. "Radio in when you're finished." With that Shepard pulled herself back into the main mako. "Problem detected and is being fixed." Shepard said as she sat down in the now empty mako with Stone, who was still typing on his wrist. Stone apparently let everyone mill about until repairs were done.

"Good. Need to speak with you actually." Stone stuttered out. Stone only stuttered to her when it didn't have to do with the mission.

"Ok, whats on your mind."

"I didn't want to say anything on the ship, everyone's being so close and all. I respect you as a comrade... I know we just met and all..." Shepard new where this was going.

"Do to regulations on Alliance military ships about fraternization, you had no choice but to wait where we wont be over heard." Stone nodded.

"I know it kind of odd, me I mean. Me being odd and all around women... but you don't mind. You don't yell at me everytime I do this stuttering thing." Shepard chuckled.

"You sound like a friend of mine back on earth. When he was younger he would be like this around any girl...even the seven year olds. Guy never wanted to say anything that could hurt a lady's feelings... me on the other hand he didn't mind being all rude around or to."

"Do you think..." Stone sighed. Poor man looked like he was about to explode from embarrassment. "I heard about you and Captain Thorn... I think most Commanding officers have. Not that I care and all... I am older than you, few years...I'll understand if you feel uncomfortable."

"Stone... Thorn was at least ten years older than I was at 18, still is ten years older. You're about three or four years older... no big deal." Stone seemed to not only grow happier but less stressed about this.

"Its Justin." Stone stated.

"Justin...Its Ekateriena or you can go my friends way Kat."

"Kat... I like that." Suddenly the radio bussed.

"Second, were're finished should I get your crew to get back to your mako."

"Yes." Shepard answered right back quickly. "Parties over." Shepard joked. Shepard startled when she felt the mako shift a bit, but then heard voices of the crew complaining about having to go back into cramp spaces. "Do you think we should camp for the night, get an early start tomorrow, crews complaining about space." Stone nodded. Popping her head out of mako Shepard saw that most of the soldiers took their time to get to the mako. Shaking her head she was happy to give them a break.

"MAKE CAMP." Shepard yelled, soldiers closest to her startled from her yell while other sat down in happiness from their long day of looking over the colony and part of the planet. "That made them happy." Shepard stated as she pulled herself back in. Stone was back on his omni tool. "Reporting in." Stone nodded. "You do realize that reports are only due after mission is complete.

"Morgan wants to know whats happening. She want to make sure everything is going smoothly, I'm in command of fifty or so men. Plus you, She seems more worried about you then those fifty men." Finally finished Stone dropped his arm on his lap and laid his head back. "I hate leading."

"Then why are you commander?"

"Old commander died, I got the job, your looking at the former second in command. I have a feeling your replacing me in that department." Stone opened his eyes and lifted his head. "Aren't you part another team?"

"Yeah, we don't really have a commander...mostly captains, the only commander is Thorn, but he's discaplinary Captain as well. I'm being 'trained' I guess before heading back...or I am replaceing you... would be nice though... to actually ride around an actual military ship... you know one that fires back." Stone nodded then laid his head back.

"I hope you replace me...would hate for you to leave. Plus you've been doing an awesome job leading when I don't feel like it." Shepard shook her head.

"Should we be setting up too?"

"We've go the mako's. Thats that cool think about being in command you get actual metal stuff to protect your ass, tents for the soldiers."

"Wonderful. I am soooo happy for you and me. Its strange, where in the world would a colony of people go? There were no ships reporting coming in or out other than the pioneer team...they vanished as well."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like the answer to this one." Stone sighed out. "What those idiots doing out there?" Stone commented when he heard a bunch of yelling and up once more Shepard peered out the top of the mako. There was a ring built, she saw two of the soldiers circling one another.

"Looks like a fighting ring. Should I stop them?" Shepard felt hand on her hips before being pulled down, with no other option she followed.

"No." Shepard was actually rather glad that she had John put her hair up in the braided bun. She rather liked having Justin's lips in the back of her neck, his stubbles tickled a little. "Leave them be. The more noise they make the less I have to worry." Shepard was sure what he had in mind, but she knew that the N7 armor was not the best thing to wear if you wanted to get in and out of something quickly. "This is a down side of being in command... you don't get the quick take off armor." Shepard laughed at his statement.

"Well isn't than bad." Shepard turn around and straddled Stone. "Good thing though...it hinds things better." An arched brow was her answer to her statement. "You know..." Just to prove her point Shepard brought her hips down and shifted with just enough pressure to elicit a moan out of Stone.

"Yes... definitely a good thing." Stone buried his head in the valley of Shepard's armored breasts. He took several deep breaths to calm his racing blood. "I think we should stop them... Morgan will have my head if she find out that I allowed this."

-_-_- Next Day_-_-

"The Hell is that?" Stone shouted after he climbed out the burning, turn over mako.

"If I knew I would know how to kill it!" Shepard yelled back from behind the mako. "Get back here you idoit...that dam thing spits acid."

"ACID! Men fall back, get to cover." Stone ran and squatted next to Shepard. "I never had this kind of finght, most of the time some people with pitch forks... but this."

"What! Never had a gun to...well you can't count this as a gun battle. Basic gist... shoot it till it dies and don't get hit."

"Realy... I had no clue!" Stone responded in sarcasm. A sizzling sound was heard from the front. "Acid, of all things acid. Mako's being eaten by this. We should move."

"It seems to catch movement... staying still would be the best option... but with the acid eating at the mako... that is a good idea." Shepard puffed out. Standing up Shepard sprinted backwards towards a hill, that she hoped would cover her from the acid. "What channel are we on?" Shepard called back.

"Seven. Let the soldiers know that moving around is the last option they get.I'll get the ship down here to help." With that Stone was trying to get Captain Morgan to respond.

"Second here. Keep up the firing, this thing got to go down soon. What ever you do, don't move around. This thing seems to sense movement on the ground. Contacting main ship for back up." Shepard pulled her sniper out, she wasn't all that good with it, being a tech, but she had managed to actually pass the firing exam.

The scope smelled of gun residue and some cleaning fluid but Shepard ignored it and took aim at the ugly things face and fire a shot. The worm thing wasn't even faised... its like it had a shield of some sort around it. 'Things just got better.' Shepard hissed in her head and fired another shot. This time it seemed to twitch and then all of a sudden it rose itself up before heading back under the same hole it came out. 'Did it give up?' Shepard thought so. It didn't come up again.

"Status report."

"Seven men dead so far Ma'am. Twelve injured...they wont make it though Ma'am. Acid got to them."

"Stone!"

"I know I heard. The ship isn't answering. I can't get a single...I could if I could get to one of the makos. There radios are better for long distance." Stone stood and made his way over the mako while shouting commands to get things back in order. Suddenly the earth shook and Stone was swallowed by a large horned mouth of the giant worm. 'dam thing was just waiting for that.'

Shot were heard from everywhere. A rocket was heard screeching before hitting the worm. The small explosion sent Shepard flying backwards, being so close to the worm, and making her land in a heap on the other side of another dune. The worm disappeared underground once more before reappearing next to a group of soldiers. It leaned over and swallowed several of the men before rolling around with it's spikes on the rest of the crew that survived. Blood and bodies not only where stuck to the ground but also to worm. It withered around before heading underground again.

Shepard recovered and stood up. There seemed to be twenty or so men left scattered about the land scape guns all raised and twitching about in hopes to kill the worm first. Several feel away from Shepard the worm resurfaced and made an attempt to eat her. Shepard rolled out of the actual mouth part but a protruding spike ran deep in her leg before make the sound of someone slurping noodles as it came out. Shepard hissed but hulled her ass up and made a limping dash behind some boulders, firing a shot into the worms mouth also helped her escape.

"Commander?" Where the troops trying to reach Stone, Shepard wasn't too sure.

"Status." Shepard answered.

"we've got us two, Rick... any more survivors...so just me and Rick so far...worms bleedi-" A scream was heard before silence.

"Status!" Shepard received no answer. Peeking out she found the worm just sitting there...there was no one around for miles. Shepard was the last one left. 'Worms bleeding...maybe.' Shepard fired a sniper round at it. It twitched in pain before heading back into the bloodied earth. It popped up once more not to far way from Shepard. She loaded another round of bullets into the sniper before taking aim again. Dirt and blood was smudged not only on the gun but also part of her scope, but Shepard was able to make out the worm through it. Firing once the worm made an angered hissing sound before swiping at the ground, it seemed to think she was right there. Shepard fired again, blood oozed out of the holes, the worm looked ready to die, but it popped back down before reappearing behind her. It grabbed Shepard making her drop her snipper, Shepard wiped out her pistole and continuously fired bullets on the inside of its mouth. It didn't seem to care for it pulled her further into the bloody black hole that made its mouth and swallowed. Darkness eloped Shepard, but she kept firing suddenly the worm seemed to have dropped sideways. 'Did it die? Seems so.'

The muscles that made her go down around her stopped flexing. Mucus covered her armor and even the eye shield that was attached to N7 helmet. Shepard fiddled around before army crawling out of the worms throat back up to the spiky opening. Shepard hissed when she put wait on her injured leg as she limped away from the carcus. Her left cheek burned as bad as her right leg did. Then again her right leg had a gapping hole in it. Thats when Shepard saw the cracked eye protector, she probably had glass everywhere. Her right hip itched badly, looking down with a cracked class she found part of her N7 armor eaten away, probably from the acid. Before feeling faint Shepard pressed the panic button on her suite. She had totally forgot about it, this was the easiest way for the ship to know that there was an emergency with the deployment team.

Hours later Shepard found her self in the medical bay of the Cabella, the doctor was looking over a memo pad before lifting Shepard blanket to check on something. The white wall, bed and even tech was getting annoying to look at. Though parts of the place looked a bit fussy, especially on her left side.

"You're going to need a few days in here. Leg will heal but you will have a rather big scar there. We had to a skin graph to replace the missing tissue on your right hip. You had managed to pull your left arm out of it socket, thats going to be sore for a day or two. Also, don't speak. You have about three hundred stitches holding your face together. Yes that would also leave a scar, but don't worry. Men find scars attractive for some reason." The Docter laughed at his private joke before he pressed a button on the monitor next to Shepards head. "This will help you not to feel any of that for a couple more house, but it would make you sleepy." With that he left Shepard alone.

It seemed like a few minutes had passed in her sleep before Shepard prided her eyes open. Shepard knew instantly that one of her eyes was taped shut, Shepard had that weird vision that people would get when one would keep an eye close. It made her dizzy for a few seconds before trying to reach up and take the tape off. A rather loud beeping sound made Shepard stop moving towards her eye. She lowered her left hand waiting for the doctor to notiec that he heard the beeping to find the beeping getting quitter. Obviously didn't want he to touch her left eye, they were treating her like a dog.

Shepard wasn't sure if she should be worried about her eye or the actual pain she was feeling. It wasn't so bad, minor compared to getting sniped in the head, but still rather noticeable. Shepard looked around the best she could. This was definitely not the medical bay on the Cabella. There was state of the art machines stationed above Shepard, even the place had that I-am-worth-a-million-credits feel to it.

"Miss. Flowne-Shepard, glad to see your up. Sorry about the alarm, we can't have you touching your left eye." Shepard jerked to her right when she heard a voice on her left. Not be able to see on her left Shepard felt vulnerable. "Sorry. Should have approached you on the other side." Shepard felt the bed being pushed and then found a salarian doctor entering her field of vision from her left side. "I should not have startled you, should have been more observant to your file. Your a solder should have known better. Could have countless bad reactions. Good thing there was no gun." The profiles on salarians wasn't kidding when they said they could talk on and on. Right now he was giving Shepard a heading, not that she didn't have one before.

"Enough!" The salarian doctor jumped when Shepard shouted. "Please... your making my headache worse."

"uh..yes. Sorry, getting ahead of myself. We had to replace your eye."

"Replace? It was just fine!"

"You had some fussness before do to glass injury on the field. Later your ships doctor found that there was minor acid burns on your eye. Something about a giant worm...Acid from it was eating your eye a few hours after your pickup. Slow at first, you couldn't feel it, but it did speed up. Thank god you were drugged. We tried hard to make the eye the same but...coloring turned out different."

"Differnet?"

"You'll see when we take that off. Your being transported to Earth. The Alliance military has a recuperating base there."

-A landing dock somewhere on the Earth-

Shepard wasn't all surprised when she was told she had to get to the recuperating base herself. She wasn't mortally wounded. Mike was meeting her on the dock for a few drinks before he walked her to the base. She found Mike only a few feet way from the entrance of the docking platform, she waved at him before he engulfed her in a hug.

"Dam Shepard. Your face!" Mike said. Its been years since Shepard seen or heard from him. He looked good. Mike was sadly discharged from the military do to being afraid of the sound of gun fire. "That thresher maw gave you no mercy." Mike sighed as he found Shepard staring off into the distance with a cloudy look in her right eye. He could see that even months later Shepard was seeing vision of the battle field, the dead bodies of her comrades and still feeling the pain of her acid burns. "They were fine soldiers Kat." Shepard couldn't help but smile at his pet name for her.

All those men and woman who where on Akuze, off all things, she had servived. She spend most of her time in a hospital bed healing from injuries, acid burns and then later for trying to kill her self. Shepard hated to think on that day, but everyone kept reminding her. Reminding her that she couldn't even save one person on that dam planet. Last Shepard heard they had rebuilt the colony. And that a monument in her honor was being built. Shepard only hoped that they didn't forget all 50 Marines that died that day.

"Mike...it's been too long." Shepard saluted, but then laughed at what she done. "I'm on shore leave for two hours."

"Leaving already? You just go here. Then again, training. " Mike sighed. "Can't be helped...Commander." Mike laughed as Shepard playfully punched him in the arm. "I can't believe your a Commander...You getting that training here though. Right?" Shepard nodded. The base she was heading will not only help her deal with her eye issue but also train her in the N7 ways. "I think your the youngest one yet! I'll check it out and tell you in message. So...how did things go with..."

"With Thorn? Ok. He was the disciplinary Captain on the ship. So I got see him a lot, I once told him that " I hope you die one day by very people you abandoned." Few month later, a gang on Earth killed him because he gave the leader a dirty look. Irony! And a triadic way for a Captain to die."

"Don't be like that Kat."

"I'm not! Anyway, I plan to get myself so drunk that I can't tell the difference between a Krogan and a regular man!" Mike laughed at her statement but led her to the nearest bar. Most military landing docks had bars, all bars had great business when soldiers came around. The bar it self looked seedy enough on the outside, the paytrans them selves didn't help either, most of them being of the alien race. Shepard had met enough of the other species to know what to do around them. "Not my normal Mike."

"I know some guys here... and the bartender. Come I want you to meet a couple of my friends." Mike steered Shepard to the back of the shit hole. There were some rather tough, ugly and rather unhappy faces greeting her when Mike finally stopped at the table he was talking about. "Boys, meet my good friend Shepard."

"The Akuze woman." One of them said. Shepard wasn't sure who, it was too dark to even see her hand in front of her face.

"Hay! Shepard just some random lady who walked into the bar right now. I owe you a drink Kat. Be right back." Mike pushed her into the seat next to one of the taller guys. Shepard ignored his grunt of annoyance at her and leaned on the table. It was silent for all of ten seconds before someone shifted in their seat.

"So little human. Heard quite a lot about you from my friends on the Citadel. Human, your kind is pushing to hard for a seat. Your not getting one."

"Politics aint my game. Just tell me to what to shoot and I'll kill it." Shepard responded in a clipped tone. The dame nerve of the torian. Shepard knew enough of each species of aliens, torian's had the voice of a human but with more air to them. "And you torian's think you rule the galixy. You may be holding big guns, but the one's attached to you need some fixing." Shepard had walked into the male's locker room to get John from there to only find a bunch of Torins walking about. It was one of those weird movie scenes, everyone froze and it was tense and awkward for two hole minutes before Shepard continued on her way to John. There were several chuckles and a 'she got you good' from someone. Shepard could faintly see the mandibles on either side of the Torins face pinch close together in either embaresment or annoyance. Mike had returned from the bar now and slammed a drink in front of Shepard. It was a strange green liquid.

"Should get you to the drunk state you said you wanted to be in. Don't ask what it is." Shepard just shrugged and gulped down the ass smelling concoction. It was strangely sweet for something that smelled so foul. "Kat, your not supposed to gulp it down, your just going to be throwing it up."

"Aint my problem." Shepard leaned back in her seat, it wasn't as plushy as it looked. "That drink did shit Mike."

"Your one tough gun, human. That would nock me off my feet in seconds." It was the torain again. Shepard shrugged. "Whats with the bandage? Eye broken or something."

"Or something." Shepard couldn't tell but she though she saw the Torian raise an eyebrow...if they had had any. "thresher maw." The Torian snorted in understanding and seemed to drop the subject. "Speaking of which. Help me take the sucker off?" Shepard was sure if the peeling process would be more painful than what the eye actually looked like. "How does it look? Not to freaky."

"Naw." the Torin responded first. "Slap some face paint on and look the same."

"Face paint?"

"Doesn't the female of your species were face paint everyday?"

"I think he means makeup Kat. Look here, Shepards a solder...she hasn't heard of makeup." Shepard laghed but punched Mike in the arm.

"I have you ass! Been in a medical transport ship for a few months you know." Mike laughed saying he forgot. "Forgot my ass!"

"We should really get you to the base Kat."

"God, your like Captain Morgan. All fun and games one minute and then back to work the next." Mike pulled Shepard by the arm out of her seat as she bayed goodbye to Mike's Torian friends. "No need to rush. I don't feel like going back to someone screaming in my face." Mike laughed.

"I know how you feel. We have to trade extranet accounts. I want to be able to know whats going on." Mike stated. The walk to exit wasn't to bad. "By the way your other eye is a red color. Not even close to it being blue."

"Idiots. They may be all knowing those Salarians, but they can't get an eye to match the other." Shepard sighed out.

"Excuse me. You must be Shepard." A lady with a hovering camera butted in. She had a long blue dress from the top of her neck to the bottom of her shoes even long sleeves. The was a strange dark blue pattern but Shepard was in no mood to decipher it. Standing strait Shepard shifted into her military ways.

"Lieutenant Commander you mean." The lady did a waving motion as if she didn't care much of Shepards correction.

"Khalisah Al-Jilani of Westerland News." The news camera just turned on. This woman wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Shepard, there are many rumors serculating about you."

"Such as?" Shepard asked flatly. She was going to deny them all. This reporter had no right to butt into Shepads life.

"You are known as a species killer. Are you happy what you had done with the thresher maw?" The lady shoved what ever she was holding in her hand from her face into Shepards.

"You mean before or after it killed all fifty other marines?" The lady seemed to pause, she must have not expected that answer. "I feel sorry for it. I'm sure it was just protecting its territory, but it did kill an entire colony, then fifty marines and my commanding officer. It left me gravely wounded and if you can't tell it took one of my eyes." The camera seemed to be more focused on Shepards scared face and awkward colored eyes.

"You have also been fraternizing with your superiors." Shepard wasn't sure where this woman got her info from, but it was half ass stuff.

"You need to get your facts strait before heading out. I have never fraternized with any to regulations on Alliance military ships about fraternization I can get kicked out of the Alliance military." Shepard lied through her teeth. Sure she had done things with Stone in that Mayco, but no one knew about, it was off the books...during a mission. Sadly the only witness to this ordeal was Stone and he had died on Akuze.

"You are also a gang member. Was actually a leader once of the infamous Reds." This woman liked to play dirty.

"That was in my younger years. The military has made me into a fine standing citizen. I have worked hard to get my position. I am happy were I stand in my life now then I did back then."

"Are you angry at all at former Disciplinary Captain Thorn for what had happened to the gang?"

"I am no longer angry at him. He was doing his duty as a solder when he was on a mission. Though one can't blame me, his actions had cause about twenty or so children to die that day."

"So your saying that Former Disciplinary Captain was wrong to call the siege?"

"I had not stated that at all. Do not put words in my mouth Miss. Khalisah Al-Jilani of Westerland News. If you would excuse me I will be late. I would hate to be disiplined on the first day of my N7 training."

"Thank you for your time Shepard." Shepard gritted her teeth in anger but remained passive on the outside.

"That's Lieutenant Commander Shepard." With that Shepard stocked off with Mike. Mike laughed about the interview for a good two blocks before finally calming down. The walk to the base was quite. "I'll extrnet you when I can Mike." Hugging Mike goodbye Shepard made her way through the doors of the N7 Trainning base head high and hope that she would make it through the training.

Training was interesting. Basic gist of it, train more with her tech ability, learn how to actually shoot a snipper and other various weapons. Shepard learned how to defuse a bomb in ten seconds and read an enemy better. Shepard even learned more about each race of alien citadel and non-citadel, their biology, culture, economy, religion, government and military. Learned about historical races and creatures that she could encounter out there in space when serving with her N7 armor. She understood that parts of her life with the N7 armor would be classified and she would drop in and out of regular life on a regular basses. Shepard had extraneted Mike about sometimes not being able to respond. Shepard was happy to graduate top of her class, though not very surprised when she was called to help with an issue on the moon of Torfan.

-_-_On Torfan-_-_

Shepard hustled down the ramp on the transport ship, several other soldiers came down with her. Their boots made and entirely different sound then Shepards, but no one paid no mined to it. The colony of Elysium was truly a battle ground, building were torn apart already, many of the surviving walls were riddle with bullet hole. Shepard could make out a few refuges with guns. They looked exhausted but happy to see people in military uniforms, even the military ships that hovered hundreds of feet above the torn up surface of the moon that these people colonized. The strange thing about this mission, there was no real commander on the ground. The air forces seemed to get their orders by the minute, while here on the ground no one was truly in charge. Shrugging Shepard made her way quickly to one of the colonists she had spotted earlier.

"Status?" The man startled at her words but otherwise looked relieved to actually see her.

"Thank god! We cant hold of these people any longer. They had taken many of the colonist already, I've seen cages."

"Cages?"

"Yeah. Like those slave cages. We have to help them!" the man stepped forward and gripped Shepard the best he could, it was hard to hold on to her because the N7 armor slick design. "They have my wife and my best friend!" He yelled into Shepards helmeted face leaving his projectiling spit to slide slowly down her eye shield. Suddenly the hesterical man was pulled away from Shepard by another soldier. The soldier was yelling something at the already terrified man, Shepard wasn't really paying attention, she was looking across the main part of the battle field, past the dead zone, where something was loading what looked like a grenade launcher and fired.

"GET DOWN" Shepard yelled and flung herself forward landing on top of the man and the solder as the rocket screeched inches from shepard's rights side vision and exploded a building behind the trio. Rubble flew up and out landing on top of the trio and everywhere else leaving only parts of a wall standing. Shepard heard nothing but the sound of crumbling before silence and breathing. It was dark, Shepard raised her head as best she could to find strings of light coming though the cracks of rubble. "Everyone alright?" She heard to grunts, both different in pitches, which told her both men under her were alive. "Give me a second, I'll get us out of here." Shepard was thankful she had learned how to shift herself into a proper position to lift large slates of stuff off her in the N7 trainning, otherwise all three would have to wait for backup. Grunting Shepards pushed up, more of the cumbling noise was heard and then she felt other chunks slide off the one large slate she was lifting making it lighter, finally able to stand strait Shepard threw the rubble to her left hoping it didn't hit anybody. She heard a whistle and some applause behind her.

"Now thats N7 armor at work." She heard the solder that was with her say to the civilian man. "Now get up before she changes her mind and crushes you with it." The poor civilian not really getting it was a joke hurled himself up and ran off. "I've never seen a man run so fast." The soldier laughed.

"You'll be next if you keep that up." Shepard stated. Shepard was not happy how things were. These batarian's meant business, they either wanted everyone dead or as slave. "Listen here, we need to get these guys moving or dead." She had turned toward the main ground force. "We need a plan. The airships are here for their airships and we're here for the actual batarians." Gun fire sounded on the other side and a shout of 'here they come!' was heard from somewhere.

Shepard was sure how long she had fired her gun or how many bullets she had actually used but these brataians wouldn't give up, there seemed to be no end of them either. Shepard had pressed her help button on her soot, the soot had told her reinforcements wouldn't come for another few hours. 'What are they to busy have tea?' Shepard had thought when she first saw the words flashing in front of her but knew that getting here from anywhere that Alliance ships where located would take at least three hours.

So Shepard ran from section to section to put her superior training to use to help the colony. At some point she heard that there was a secret way to get into the building that the bratarian's were keeping the caught colonist. She volunteered right away, saying that she was trained in stealth search and rescue and the fact one person in and out would be less noticeable than a group of soldiers.

With that Shepard snuck around the place, she had found little evidence that people were even here, let alone Bratarian slaves until she peeked around a corner to find cages and cages of people. There was only one guard to them all, Shepard figured he had the electric key to these metal contraptions. Shepard slowly pulled her sniper out and took aim, hoping that the people wouldn't make too much noise to the dead bratarian, and then fired. She thanked the god for the silencer on the end of her gun otherwise that would attract even more attention. It had grown quite, Shepard sprinted out and checked over the dead Bratarian for a key, to find it in one of the vest pockets it hummed slightly with power but otherwise looked like it would fit into the slots of the cages.

"Your...a soldier!" One of the captured women yelled from the cage behind Shepard whipped around with her gun raised.

"Shhhhhh. Don't attract attention her. Otherwise I can't get out out of here. Please act normal, as if nothings going on." The people slowly started to make a normal amount of noise that they were making before.

"Take the children first please." Shepard nodded and unlocked the cage.

"Kids... I need you to stay quite." the children nodded. "Single file behind me and stay low." With that Shepard slowly made her way out the way she came in. It took all of ten minutes to get the kids back to human side of the battle field. The soldiers took over then. "There about six more cages of at least forty or so adults in each cage in there." She advised someone who seemed to put himself in charge on the ground.

"Think you can get them out?"

"I'll see. It wasn't too hard with these guys, but the less sound that happens in the place they are being kept the more likely the Batarians are to knowtest, see if you can keep them occupied." Both soldiers saluted one another before head their seperate ways. Shepard manage to make six more trips with out incident. The Bratarians didn't seem to notice that their 'slaves' were no longer with them.

When Shepard made it back with the last group she found that the colonist had taken arms as well. The soldier that she had talked to before was handing out guns to anyone willing to take up arms.

"Nice job Shepard! uh... I mean Commander Shepard. Sorry ma'am." Shepard waived it off, it had been a good three hours now since they were dropped off to fight, even Shepard was ready to call it a day but knew better than to let her guard down.

"I'm going back in. Doing a final sweep of the place, see if I missed anyone, I'll plant a bomb in there as well, that should slow them down. How are things otherwise?"

"We got part of their force but they seemed to have more reinforcements here now. They even got a Mayco. If that makes through the barricade we built we are screwed." Shepard knew that, it was hard battling a Maycol. It could shoot rockets and had larger amount of ammo, plus it could role right over her and kill her even with her shields and superior armor on.

"Lets hope our reinforcements come and we don't have to deal with a Mayco." The soldier nodded to that. Shepard turned around and made her way back into the building. She slowly made her way through one of the extra hallways she didn't go down before checking each room gun first to make sure no one would shoot her. Shepard knew her shields would hold for a few bullets but she still didn't want to risk it, no soldier ever wanted to.

Towards the end of the hallway she heard a hum. It wasn't noticeable at first with the ears, she had felt it through her suite and into her chest cavity. It was as if a bass to music was was on, it had the feeling. Shepard lowered herself for a quick rest against the wall, before actually relaxing she checked around the corner to see if anyone was there. Clear in both directions Shepard relaxed, she was exhausted. Sure she had fought before, but this...this was taking its tole. Even her suit told her it was time to take a break and eat something.

Her suit flashed red on her left side, Shepard had asked for the warning system on her left side only due to her eye. The eye wasn't bad, it did what ever eyes did as if it was good as new, Shepard wasn't sure when that eye would flicker off on her. Three dots symbolized three heat sources, Shepard didn't have enough practice to tell what race was coming at her. All Shepard new was that a certain color meant a certain race, which she was not sure, not that she had a manual for this kind of thing. Shifting quickly on the balls on her feat, Shepard pushed her self around the corner and checked to see what was coming.

Three tough looking blobs made their way towards Shepard. Checking her snipper over to make sure she had enough rounds in it to make a few kills. Suddenly their foots steps seemed to be heading further away. Checking once more, Shepard sighed in relief that they were heading down another hallway.

Further down the hall Shepard found herself walking past a mirror. The N7 armor truly was like plastic rap around her body. The helmet made her head look about twice the size, The eye visor on the helmet didn't hide the fact that one eye was a sapphire and the other a chilling blood red. Stepping closer Shepard was able to make out the scars from her time on Akuze. On abviouse one was the one she got from sergery on the actual eye, but others looked like large scrapes across her left cheek the led onto her nose. Sighing Shepard moved on towards the weird humming noise, knowing that she couldn't do anything about her appearance. The strange humming noise wound up to be an overheating cooling system to the building. Shepard doubled timed it back to the battle field in hopes that reinforcements would be there.

Shepard's prays were not answered. The reinforcements were not coming for another hour but the enemy Mayco slammed right through their small wall of protection and started shooting at anything that moved. Sheperd sent a sabotage wave link to the Mayco hopping that it would stop firing long enough to get its users to give up and get out. The Mayco shuddered then hissed whent he Bratarians tried to fire at a squad. The Bratarian thank god like to have their enemy quickly die, got annoyed at lack of firing from the Mayco and got out. She was rather surprised when one colonist took the liberty to run the Mayco put himself in it. The Mayco, five minutes later, filled with soldiers exploded. And before Shepard knew it she was running, sliding, ducking for her life. Shepard had held her ground for an hour, with no backup and no soldiers on the ground. She had been alone, terrified that she would die, but willing to avenge her comrades that had fallen one by one an hour ago.

-Hours later one of the ships of the SSV Agincourt-

Shepard sighed, she was being called to the main deck. She had no clue what she had done wrong but she marched her way though the main hallway. People milled about not really caring that a ground soldier was trying to get by.

"Lieutenant Commander Shepard to main deck." The IA voice said once again. 'I would be there now if these idiots would move.'

"Coming though!" Shepard finally demanded. Shepard prided herself to be where she was needed by only the first call. People scooted out her way as Shepard made a dash for the doors to the main deck at the end of the hall.

"Lieutenant Commander Shepard reporting." She saluted the Captain of the ship as she calmly walked through the door. Who else would call one of the many Lieutenants on the ship.

"At ease." The captain stated as he looked at the galaxy map. "We'll be docking soon." The captain sighed then stood and faced Shepard. The captain was in his late fifties by the looks of it and looked like he was ready to retire. "I need you to deal with the press. I saw how you handle your Akuze one. I will be remaining on deck. Everyone else has shore leave. You may take your shore leave as soon as your done with the press." Shepard nodded. She hoped it wasn't the same woman as before. "Understand that details are sketchy at best for the public and you best keep it that way. Get yourself cleaned up." Shepard saluted and made her way to the doors once more. "Shepard," Shepard looked back at her commanding officer. "Good job down there."

"Just doing my duty sir." With that Shepard walked out off the main deck. Slowly making her way back to her bunk. Sitting down Shepard thought about what had happened back down on the ground. No casualties on their side, wounded yes, but no one dead. Those seven hours, they were a blur, a blur of blood, bullets and faces that Shepard couldn't remember the names of. What it the world was she going to say to the press if she herself couldn't figure out what had gone down there. What Shepard knew was the fact that she had saves a solder and a man from getting blown up and crushed, saved a bunch off people form slavers, stopped a mayco from killing the people and got reinforcement to come to their aid.

Shepard was actually surprised to find seven reporters waiting for someone to speak. The captain had put her to the wolves, wolves that had questions that Shepard wasn't sure how to answer. A young reporter was first to jump on her with a slur of questions.

"Good evening I am Lieutenant Commander Shepard, I will be answering any questions about what had happened in the colony of Elysium, understand that something are classified. You may proceed with questions, one at a time."

"Shepard." It was the same reporter that reported about Akuze.

"Commander." Shepard interjected before the woman could even get the question out. "I have told you before Miss. Al-Jilani its Commander Shepard, please refer to me with tittle, it curtesy. Like when I call you Miss." Al-Jilani huffed in annoyance.

"What had happened to the colonist?"

"Classified."

"Who was in command of the ground team?"

"That is classified."

"Classified you say?" Shepard nodded. Was this lady hard of hearing? "But you were the only 'classified' soldier on the ground. So to say, you were in charge." 'That wasn't even a question.' Shepard sighed.

"Negative. I am was a soldier not a commander on that ground."

"Then who-"

"Classified." Shepard snapped at the reporter names Jilani. It was quite for only second before the next reporter asked questions.

"These 'Slavers.' who where they?"

"I had not stated slavers at all."

"Commander Shepard. Do you think you did better on this mission than you did on Akuze? Are you happy that you had lost soldiers once agian?" Shepard knew that Akuze was a classified mission she had been dragged into.

"I am not aloud to respond to that do to the fact that details themselves about what had happened on Akuze are still being brought forth."

"Not aloud or not going to?" Shepard didn't say anything, she knew it was a jab to get her to speak. It still hurt about a year latter to think about the dead on Akuze.

"You were a Commander on that mission, you had inside information. The people would like to know what happened on Akuze. Jugging from the scares on your face, something big."

"I was Second Commander. Other than that we were there to see-"

"About the mission colony. We know that, what went down is what the people to know. Also are you happy that you sacrificed good men and woman so you can live on?" Shepard really wanted to fire at this reporter. The dame man was not there, he was not there to see the blood, the deaths of every soldier Shepard tried hard to save. Shepard briefly remember slapping medical jell on a soldiers right arm.

"There is a reason why they have red tape around my and Akuze files. As you already know, that anytime an Alliance Navy soldier is on a mission, the file and mission are classified to not only the citizens but also to part of the Alliance Military. I have no control of what my superiors mark classified. Best ask them. If there are no other questions concerning slavers and the colonist. I would like to start my limited shore leave." Camera were shut off and reporters were left cursing for not getting any other questions in. Shepard hated the press, they always seemed to move questions about the mission to about her and her actions on said mission and others.

Shore leave was not what Shepard would really call it. She basically stood on a large platform while actual details were given to the public and press about what happened on Elysium. Shepard wasn't sure as to why she was brought onto the stage. She was just a ground soldier, all other personnel on the stage were captains. Shepard closed her eyes momentarily to stop the headache that was forming. This had gone on about an hour before Shepard heard her name, not really knowing what was going on she stood and saluted. Aparintly that was the right thing to do because she found the oldest man in front of her.

"For you bravery, fortitude and willingness to survive on Elysium, I give you Star of Terra. May you wear it proudly Lieutenant Commander Flowne-Shepard." Shepard was ready to kill herself at the moment. According to the press she was a murderer. According to the Alliance Military she was a hero. According to Shepard she was not ready for nightmares of Akuze and Elysium that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

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Please Review and sorry once again for not updating in so long. I think I wrote enough to keep you satisfied for a while.

**Lizerd World**- Book coming out in the fall. Heard the author reading it to his publisher at Starbucks, sound great. Get a copy.


	3. Ch 3 Visions

Sorry for not updating in so long. Hope you enjoy. Review. Thanks.

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Chapter 3

**Visions**  
Normandy, Beacon, Citadel, Spectre

Shepard leaned her head back into the plastic waiting seat of the terminal she was sitting at, waiting for a private shuttle to take her to the Normandy. It was all so strange, why would they need a full crew on a state of the art spaceship for a shakedown run. Shepard knew something was up, but the year she was on classified missions, she knew not to question things.

What a long year it was. Shepard kept herself busy, not wanting to think about what happened on Akuze and Elysium. Not caring for what the reporters had said about her, not caring what others thought of her. It was all about the missions. Classified missions was not something she loved going on, for it always wound up her killing a bunch of people.

"Mama, thad a sholder!" Shepard lifted her head up quickly and found a little girl pointing her finger at her from across. They had arrived ten minutes after Shepard had sat down; the little was rather calm for a child having to wait. "Sholder hast funsy eyes." Shepard missed this, this innocence. Shepard smiled slightly at the little girl. The little girls' curly brown locks swayed as she moved her head between Shepard and her mother.

Brown eyes stared at Shepard with curiosity, probably wondering why her eyes were different colors. The mother turned around from rummaging in her bag to see what her daughter was pointing at, she gasped slightly and told her daughter to hush while pushing her pointing hand down to her lap.

"I'm so sorry." The mother rushed out, hoping that the solder across from them was not angry.

"Its fine, Ma'am." Shepard responded quickly. Shepard sighed, she had defiantly been the field too long if she was addressing a citizen as she was a commanding officer. The mother had turned back to rummage in her back leaving the daughter to slide down from the black plastic chair and make her way towards Shepard with a slight skip in her step.

"Alisha." The little pointed to herself and pointed at Shepard.

"Shepard." Shepard shook the little hand. "Pleasure to meet you Alissa. You waiting for someone?" It was nice to have a normal conversation for once.

"Dady's coming home. I waiting for him here wid mama." The little girls seemed to be the age of five. "I onceth saws a big lithard in hear." The girl kept ramballing about this lithard...maybe lizard. Shepard wasn't sure what she meant. "Why yous goth twos eyes?"

"The color you mean?" The child nodded. "The red one got...ah... hurt. The blue one is all sad about having the other one being hurt." Shepard knew that blond and blue eyed people were so rare now a days, like red heads back when.

"It got a booboo?" Kids were so cute. "Dada got a booboo too. He has to come home and get bether. You going home to get bether?"

"No. I'm heading on a big top secret ship and doing my job." The girl's eye lit up at the word secret. She leaned in and whispered secret. Shepard nodded.

"I have a secret too! One of those bags has a puppy in it?" She screeched out.

"It's not a puppy Alissa. It's a grown dog, a military dog." Her mother said. "Sorry for all the questions."

'Commander Flowne-Shepard. Please report to the closest service station.' An AI voice sounded over speakers throughout the building. Well the fun lasted for a few moments.

"It was nice meeting you Alissa." Shepard stood up slowly; stretched and made sure she had all her guns attached to her. "Ma'am."

'Commander Flowne-Shepard, Please report to the closest service station.' The AI voice sounded again.

"I'm coming. Hold you virtual horses." Shepard hissed through her teeth.

"WOW! Daddy hasth many gunth asth you do!" Shepard just smiled at the little girl. The mother of the child had stood up not too long ago and ran over to her husband. In which they both preceded to each other faces off. Shepard just coughed slightly. She recognized the man, she couldn't put a name to him but she sure remember saving his ass on the last mission.

"C-C-Commander Flowne-Shepard." The man saluted. Shepard saluted right back in a rigid format. This poor man had spent three weeks in enemy hands and then two hours in Shepard oh so caring hands

"At ease. How are your wounds doing?"

"They are fine Ma'am. Thanks to you. Oh! This is my wife Jessica; it seems you have met Alissa."

"She likes to ask questions."

"That she does. Jessica, this is the marine I was talking about. You should see the Commander in action; it's a sight to behold. It took all but three minutes for her to bring down a room full of the enemy. What are you doing here Ma'am?" Shepard hated being called Ma'am, it made her feel old.

"Classified mission."

"Another one! You are truly amazing. You just got off saving me!"

"Yours wasn't to terrible, I had managed to fit one it between these two." Both solder and wife stared at Shepard hopping she was joking. Shepard smiled slightly at the couple. "I'm N7 trained, what do you expect." Shepard new that N7 training wasn't really training.

Sure it had its training, but most of it was recovering from surgery. Surgery that made her stronger, faster, smarter and more of soldier than anything else. It wasn't public knowledge about the surgery that not only changed the soldier physically but also mentally. What the surgeons didn't know was that her left eye would shutdown if she used her enchased skills for long periods of time, so Shepard was used to battling with one eye.

'Commander Flowne-Shepard. Please report to the closest service station.' The AI voice sounded again.

"If you would excuse me." Shepard sighed and made her way over to the service desk.

"Can I help you Ma'am?"

"Commander Flowne-Shepard."

"Oh! Your shuttle arrived a few minutes ago; please make your way to door six. Down the hall on the right. Please take any belongings with you."

When Shepard made her way back to her seat she found her small duffle bag and a new large black bag. The larger one was sturdy, like a trunk but otherwise seemed harmless. It had the texture of a normal suitcase, but the size of it was not. It stood at Shepard's waist. The length of it could easily house a large animal. Shepard shrugged thinking that a soldier dropped it off for her for the mission. Shepard thanked the gods that this new bag rolled because whatever was in this, it was heavy and it shifted oddly once in a while.

The shuttle was small, not that Shepard was anticipating anything fancy, it was standard military size shuttle. The man driving it looked at the large rolling case and shook his head muttering about how this place didn't pay him enough to lug large bags.

Shepard stared out looking at one of the many cities on earth. She would miss it...maybe. Shepard had always found space rather peaceful, the large black vacuum with its white dots kept her racing mind calm. But Shepard new better, knowing that Space was just as deadly as Earth. The shuttle hissed as it landed on the docking bay. Stepping out Shepard sighed, this mission was going to be a long one, Shepard could feel it. A muttered 'your bags will be brought on board.' Came from the shuttle driver.

"Welcome Shepard." Captain Anders dark frame came from Shepard left side. Shepard startled not seeing him; it was one of those times when her left eye gave out. "You alright?"

"Yes sir. Got distracted by the ship." Shepard lied quickly.

"Come, I'll give you a tour. Lets head inside; you can read about the ships exterior details later." Both Captain and Commander made their way to the entrance hatch. "Its good to be working with you again Shepard."

"I can't complain actually. Missions I took between this one and the last was a bust." Shepard sighed out. "Captain Morgan of the seventeenth fleet says hello and to make sure I get things done without killing anymore people with giant spitting-acid-pointy-teethed worms." Anderson chuckled and commented how it was so Morgan to say that. "But in all seriousness what is the mission about?"

"Just a shakedown, nothing more."

"Nothing more my...Anderson..."

"Don't Anderson me Shepard. Come meet the crew." Anderson took a sharp left into a cramped space were the helmsman sat typing away on his monitors, the bridge. "Commander Shepard our Helmsman, Jeff Moreau." Jeff swiveled his chair around and saluted to both commander and captain.

"Just call me Joker, everyone does. So you're our commander, it nice to actually see you Shepard. Those videos that they do about you sure depict your lovely side." Shepard wasn't sure if Jeff... Joker was joking about the videos. He sounded more sarcastic than actually joking.

"Let's move on, he's always going to be like that so don't worry." Back tracking Shepard found even more people sitting, each with their own monitors, all were busy, busy enough not to salute their commanding officers. Shepard didn't mind, for it would mean she didn't have to salute back. Anders stopped a man heading toward the bridge.

Short black hair, dark eyes. He seemed far friendly than most other soldiers that Shepard had meet over her time of service. "Commander this is Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko. Biotic, he's part of the ground team." Biotics seemed to always be friendlier than other soldier, something to do about their training or what not. "Lieutenant Alenko, this is Commander Shepard." Anders gestured between the two ground teammates.

"It's an honor working with you Ma'am." Kaiden stated while he saluted. Brining her hand down from her salute Shepard wasn't sure what to make of the staff Lieutenant; he seemed all sugar and butterflies now. Poor soldier would die rather fast if he kept that up.

"Holy Shit!" Shepard looked to the right and further back into the ship. A young soldier came running over to the small group. "Your Commander Flowne-Shepard!" This young man, known as private Jenkins was also part of the ground team. He was all excited Shepard was sure if he was a dog he would have already peed from all the excitement.

"Flowne..." Kaiden started to question.

"Two last names Lieutenant. I prefer Shepard. Is that Chowake?"

"Yes, playing doctor again." Both Captain and Commander laughed at their private joke, not even bothering to fill the other two in."

"Uh... Captain. Board is green, we launch in ten." Joker's voice floated from behind them. Anders nodded.

-Eden Prime-

Shepard kneeled next to Private Jenkins unmoving body, he was still worm but defiantly not breathing, his eyes had the whiteness to them already and his lips were going blue as the blood leaked out of him into and on to the ground.

"Ripped right through his Shields. Didn't even have a chance." Kaiden said slowly. The sound of distant gunfire and thunder drowning out his voice slightly.

"We'll get him into the ground after the mission." Shepard sighed out and moved away from the cooling body of another man dead on her conscious. Shepard pushed her gun a little tighter to her waist; it was a strange comforting mechanism that she had gotten used to doing. Knowing that a lethal weapon was at Shepard side gave her that comfort to sleep at night when a battle field was a yard or so away from her.

Shepard ducked behind a tree, three blue dots showed up on her visor, three drones. It's been months since Shepard finally learned how to read the color dots that come up on her helmet. A light yellow dot showed way on top with two three dark blue dots with it. A human and three synthetics... It was best she got rid of these drones and move on.

The drones were no problem, it took all but three hits, moving up the small hill Shepard found that she was right about a human but it appeared that it was two synthetic and some human thing with wires all over it. Ducking behind another tree Shepard aimed through her scope and shot the head of one Geth. It twitched slightly and then fell, its partner watched for a spit second, analyzing, before drawing its gun.

The husk not caring about its safety followed the path of the bullet towards Shepard intent to actually kill her. With no gun Shepard wasn't sure how it could actually do any damage but she didn't take any chances and fired at its head too. It stumbled backwards before actually falling. Kaiden in the mean time had taken down the other Geth.

William from 212 or some number that Shepard couldn't really care about, related to Shepard what had happened thus far. Shepard just wanted to get off this place. She instructed for Williams to show her the dig site, Nilus the Turian Spectre stated on going on ahead. Shepard had a feeling she would be seeing him in trouble.

The dig site was empty, except for the Geth, the beacon that had been dug up, was moved. In annoyance Shepard threw her over heated sniper on the ground and stomped on it. It sure didn't look professional but eased her anger at this mission. Nothing was going right.

"Commander?" Kaiden asked as he watch her stomp her sniper rifle into a thin piece of metal. He didn't know N7's could do that... "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Peachy, just fucking peachy." Shepard pulled another gun out of its holster. "Moving out." The hill was a bitch to get over but in the end gave Shepard the perfect view of the new battle field. It seemed to be the port, which the beacon was moved to.

"It should have been transported to the other port for pickup." The clicking of Geth drowned out most of the Williams sentence. Shepard cursed herself for stomping on her sniper.

"Alenko, you better have a sniper rifle on you."

"No Ma'am. Biotic." Was his reminder.

"Here Commander, use mine…. Not to good with it anyway." Williams quickly snatched the rifle out from behind her and threw it Shepard. Shepard caught it with ease and loaded her first shot. The scope had that helpful plus in the center of it, it was obvious now that William really wasn't good at it. A true sniper didn't need the full plus but just the empty in the middle scope.

Taking aim at the light bulb of one of the Geth, Shepard squeezed the trigger and a loud bang was heard. The sniper lurched back into her shoulder before Shepard reloaded. It took all five minutes to get rid of twenty or so Geth. Shepard scoped out he area, making sure she hadn't missed any Geth.

Just then Shepard saw, Nilus the Spectre, was laying in a pool of blue liquid. He wasn't moving, Shepard hoped he was just unconscious. She had a long rant and questions to ask.

On the way down, Shepard cracked a simple code on a housing unit for workers. The People were rather glad to see them, they even answered all of Sheppard's questions. In the end Shepard had to confiscate a pistol. It was very well made and defiantly should be used my civilians. "Commander…It's Nilus." Alenko stated as they made their way towards him. Shepard rolled her eyes at the statement and took off her helmet. It was getting stuffy in it and all the dots were making left eye twitch and burn. "He's dead."

"Dead?" Shepard questioned.

"Yeah. Lost quite a lot of blood, by the looks of it, shot in the head." Shepard looked down at the pool of blue liquid that she was standing in. This was Turian blood, blue…how pretty in a morbid way. A movement at Shepards left caught her attention, quickly drawing her gun she aimed it toward the crates.

"Come out Now." A man in a workers uniform slowly stood up with his hands up.

"D-d-d-don't shoot! I'm Human!" He stuttered out.

"You idiot, don't go sneaking around a bunch of soldiers."

"I know what happened to your friend there." With that Shepard received to story of what happened. So there was another Turian here by the name of Saren, another Spectre, who was working with the Geth.

Getting to the beacon was no small feat. Between hordes of Geth to plow through, Shepard had to disarm four explosives, which was no fun with Geth shooting at her. Shepard cursed at the last explosive. Her hands were slick with sweat under the gloves, Her left eye gave out by the second explosive leaving Shepard to stager about and her shooting way off.

"Commander!" Alenko's panicked voice sounded on her left. The Geth apparently were eliminated.

"What?" Shepard hissed.

"Time!" Shepard new about the timer already, was not able to see it do to it being way to far left.

"I can't see it right now Alenko!" Shepard yelled when she finally cut the defusing wire. "Never rush me Alenko, you'll wind up with either a bullet in your head or blown up." Shepard huffed out as she sat back and closed her eyes. It normally helped reset her left eye. A mumbled sorry commander was heard from Alenko.

"Commander, you alright?" Williams asked. "Your left eye is all red." The helmet the Shepard now wore had a tinted visor so people couldn't see her mismatched eyes. Of course taking her helmet off didn't hide that fact.

"That's normal Williams." Shepard opened her eyes and looked both at Williams and Alenko. They were crouched before her, both looking worried that their commander was going to pass out on them. Both looked closer as they finally saw Shepards left blood red eye and sapphire blue right eye. "Lost it on Akuze, New eye doesn't match the original. Gives out on me once in a while, hinders me a bit, but I'm used to that." Shepard stood slowly. "Come on. Time to find this beacon. It better be worth all this trouble." The beacon was glowing green and giving off this strange humming noise. The humming wasn't scary at all, it was practically soothing.

"Shore party to Normandy, Beacon ready for pickup." Shepard stated into the communicator.

"It wasn't doing that when it was dug up."

"Something must have activated it." Alenko said as he slowly walked around it. Shepard turned towards Williams, asking if she new anything else about the bloody thing. Williams shrugged at the statement and blocked Shepard's view of the glowing beacon.

"It was strange, the birds all but disappeared when we dug it up. Prothean stuff. Dangerous no matter what they say about it. Look at what we had to do just to get here." Unknown to both women Alenko stepped a bit closer to the beacon, suddenly the beacon flared even more and started to suck in Alenko towards it.

Shepards left eye gave a startling shot of pain making Shepard lean towards her right. Right then and there Shepard saw Alenko struggling to get out of the beacons grip. Pushing Willaims out of the way Shepard launched herself up and caught Alenko before throwing him out of the way, only to be sucked in by the beacon.

"Commander!" Alenko yelled before Williams stopped him going forward.

"Don't, it's too dangerous." The both watch as Shepards body lurched up and hovered a few feet of the ground, it looked like she was seizing. Shepard stared into space but found images of stuff rushing to her. It was some strange people, then some mechanical things and flesh being entwined into the mechanical thing. Nothing was clear, it was just a bunch of images of strange stuff being bombarding Shepards mind before Shepard found her body lurching backwards and blacking out.

Shepard startled out of the darkness to find herself in the medical bay of the Normandy. Chakwas was nowhere to be seen, Shepard new she never left the medical bay when there was a patient in it. Shepard felt something on her left shoulder all of a sudden, startled Shepard flipped out bed and reached for a gun to find herself in regular cloths.

"I'm sorry. Your left eye still out on you?" Chakwas gave a smile not all offended by Shepards' reaction. Shepard nodded slowly and sighed. A small discussion on Shepards condition was brought forth, the beacon apparently was destroyed.

"I saw visions…" Shepard started to say before Anders came walking in. He asked for both Chakwas and Alenko to leave. Then gestured to Shepard to continue. "They seemed to be either a warning or of war…I'm not sure witch. And Nilus."

"He's dead, I know. What are we going to tell the council?"

"That the beacon was destroyed, Geth and Saren attacked us, and that I'm having visions…that would go over well." Shepard sighed, she had a feeling that this was not going to be the last of Saren and his Geth that she was going to hear.

"One more thing Shepard. Once of our luggage's seemed to be holding a military K-9. It was registered under your name… The bag…Not the Dog." The large duffle bag that Shepard presumed was hers…at the port…

"Sorry about that sir. Baggage mix up."

"Well… its made home in your quarters until we are able to identify it. Dog food will be picked up on the Citadel. Do take care." Anders smiled slightly then walked out of the medic bay. Shepard sighed…if geth and Saren wasn't bad enough.,.. She now had a K-9 in her sleeping quarters to take care of.

-Citadel-

Shepard stared at the Citidel Council. They were a crazy, unfriendly pieces of shit. Not only did they insult her intelligents but they wanted proof that Saren was really behind the attack. Shepard would show them, that humans were not to be messed with…or insulted.

So off to Chora's Den to find the Turian names Garrus, who didn't take a particular licking to Saren. Shepard knew Garrus was leading an investigation about Saren, she was sure he have some info.

At the entrance of the Chora's Den, loud bass music muffled the sound of gun shots between Shepards crew and some hired goons of Saren. Shepard sighed, this Turian had no honor…and very deep pockets.

Chora's Den was a sleezy, alcoholic and Asari dancers place. Alenko whistled when Shepard stepped over a dead Turian and through the door, to find an Asari dancer swinging her ass around.

"You don't get out much do you Alenko?" William asked.

"This is so typical." Shepard commented.

"Typical Ma'am?"

"Putting women on show as if we are objects to look at. Williams, make sure I don't shoot anybody." With that Shepard proceeded to the only human man in Chora's Den. Harkin, was to be his name…This man better be him. Before even getting to him Shepard was stopped by two Krogans, talking about someone getting something…or another. Shepard didn't really pay attention but presumed it was the typical my cocks bigger than yours thing every male seemed to do. A slight push to get out of the way from one of them and Shepard moved on.

"Harkin?"

"Who wants to know….Well, that military uniform doesn't hid much…Care to join me sweet thing?" Shepard wasn't sure what was worse…the smell of liquor all over this man or that fact he called her sweet thing.

"Garrus…where can I find him?"

"You looking for that son of a bitch…"

"Yes. I find his company a much more pleasant that yours."

"Look girl, I won't tell you who or what you can fuck…but really Him…you better off with me."

"Have you seen him or not?" Shepard asked as she picked Harkin my his shirt and pulled him up to her face. It wasn't really smart on her part. This man smelled even worse up close and she was ready to puke.

"He was going to see about some Docter." Shepard knew which one. "Something about a female…" Harkins words were lost to Shepard as she made her way to the exit of the club. The docter's office wasn't that hard to find, but the gun blasé within it made the journey all that more worth it. Sadly that the visit was worth more questions than answers about Saren… and a man named Fist apparently knows a Quarian that had valuable information about Saren. The problem… Sarens men are more likely to get the information; the meeting spot was unknown. But apparently Fist knew.

"Fist…" Garrus says slowly. "There is a Krogan, Wrex, who would more than love to take out Fist." Garrus was still massive to Shepard. Blue armor covered everything but his head, which reminded of Shepard more a dinosaur than anything else.

"Wonderful, more gun power." Shepard was ready to kill someone again. Running around and getting clues. This is why she was a soldier and not a detective… to much walking back and forth. Wrex took one good look at Shepard after she told him she was going after fist and stated, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." With that Shepard welcomed him to the team.

Fist was a piece of cake to care of. The Quarian, Tali, defiantly had evidence on Saren going rouge. She apparently was taking her pilgrimage here and was able to find some Geth that had recorded Sarens voice saying that Eden Prime was a major victory of some sort. Shepard smiled slightly at Tali, who was eager to help, that she joined the team. Tali was more than happy to share her finding to the Council. Tali was small, the environment soot she wore, didn't hide any of her curves, but gave a rather synthesized voice.

The council looked at one another slowly as the recording of Saren's voice played form Tali's omni tool, they seemed to look a shocked. There was a second voice on the recording which was identified by the Asari Council woman as a matriarch Benezia. Shepard zoned most of this out and responded to things she bothered hearing.

"We will not start a galactic war." One of the council people stated. The other two agreed. There was more arguing over having to stop Saren, when things got quite. Shepard looked around trying figure out what was going on.

"Shepard if you would step forward." Shepard did as she was told. An entire speech was made about being a Spectre. How she had to uphold the honor and the rules and what-not. Standing there and listening a small flash of whatever the beacon imprinted into Shepard's mind. It was strange, a large planet with a bright yellowish glow behind it.

The sound of clapping brought Shepard out of the sight of the large planet. People were standing and clapping; Shepard gave the littlest smile and entered the usual soldier pose. The K-9, named Blackhawk after the Utility helicopter, jumped about in excitement. Anders kept him with him until Shepard was done with her investigation. Blackhawk took a great interest in Shepard and refused to leave even when a K-9 handler came to get him. So in the end Blackhawk stayed. Shepard sighed, something told her that this was going to be one long mission.

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